Hikari and Mei
by HikariMei
Summary: Hikari and Mei are the two twin daughters of James and Catherine Mansen. Basically a novelization of the main FO3 quest line with some side quests. Spoilers in later chapters, slight ghoul/human pairings.
1. Chapter 1: Escape

Quick Note: _Hikari_ Mei _Both_

Chapter 1: Escape

"You're well enough to take the G.O.A.T. I see nothing wrong with you, now go on," James, the twins' father, said, "I have too much work right now."

They sighed before the one with violet eyes and short, midnight hair, Hikari, said, "Fine. Any advice before we take it?"

"Just answer the questions to the best of your abilities," he said absentmindedly as he turned to his computer. "Now get going."

They nodded and left their father's office and headed down the tunnel, only to discover their friend, Amata, being bullied by the so-called Tunnel Snakes.

"Guys, leave her alone," the dark-haired one said with a slight edge to her voice. "Don't make me go get the Overseer. Remember what happened the last time something happened between us?"

"Fine, fine. We'll leave her alone, for now," Butch, the irritating leader, replied. "But just you wait, Mansens. You'll get yours soon."

They rolled their eyes and went over to Amata.

"Thanks, guys. Those jerks pick on me just because I'm the overseer's daughter. Honestly!"

"Don't worry, Amata. We can take all of them on at once, and they know it," the blonde with bright blue eyes, Mei, said.

Amata let a small chuckle escape her mouth. "Yeah, sure. Let's just go to class and get the stupid G.O.A.T. over with."

"Come on, I could at least take on Butch alone," she defended.

"Just Butch, I'm sure, but when will Butch be alone? His 'Tunnel Snakes' will always be right behind him," she pointed out as they entered the classroom.

"True," the dark-haired twin admitted.

"Come on, class, take your seats and keep your eyes on your own paper," Mr. Brotch said rather loudly over the few conversations taking place. "Just answer the questions as best as you can, and keep your hands to yourself. Yes, that includes you, Mr. DeLoria."

Butch sniggered before responding with, "Whatever you say, Mr. Brotch."

They took their seats in front of Amata. Hikari was stuck behind Butch. She could hear Butch whispering, "Daddy's girl," over and over under his breath, and she rolled her eyes. Her dislike for the greaser wasn't hidden from anyone.

"Okay, question 1: You are approached by a frenzied vault scientist, who yells, 'I'm going to put my quantum harmonizer in your photonic resonation chamber!' What's your response?"

She thought for a moment before putting, "Say nothing, but slip away before the scientist can continue his rant."

Hikari took a gander at her twin's paper out of curiosity only to see that she put, "Yeah? Up yours, too, buddy!"

Mr. Brotch waited a moment until everyone was done writing before continuing. "Question 2: While working as an intern in the clinic, a patient with a strange infection on his foot stumbles through the door. The infection is spreading at an alarming rate, but the doctor has stepped out for a while. What do you do?

_Easy. I'd medicate it to the best of my abilities until the doctor came back._

Restrain the patient until the doctor comes back, merely observing as it spreads.

"Question 3: You discover a young boy in the lower levels of the Vault. He's hungry and frightened, but also appears to be in possession of stolen property. What do you do?"

_Well, I wouldn't leave him there... I guess I'd give him a hug and tell him that everything would be okay._

Stupid kid. Confiscate the property by force, and leave him there as punishment, and leave the boy to his fate. How do you get lost in the Vault, anyway?

"Question 4: Congratulations! You've just made one of the Vault 101 baseball teams! Which position do you prefer?"

_I wonder why this is a question... We don't even have a baseball team anymore. There aren't even enough people for two teams. Still, if we had one, I'd want to be the pitcher._

Baseball? No, no, no. I wish the vault had a soccer team.

"Question 5: Your Grandmother invites you to tea, but you're surprised when she gives you a pistol and orders you to kill another vault resident. What do you do?"

_Personally, I don't have a grandmother, which makes me wonder about things, but I'd throw my tea in her face, I guess._

Pfft. What kind of question is that? Ask for a mini gun instead. After all, I don't want to miss.

"Question 6: Old Mr. Abernathy has locked himself in his quarters again, and you've been ordered to get him out. How do you proceed?"

_Well, I'd try my hand at picking the lock with a bobby pin, but if that didn't work, I'd get a laser pistol from the armory and shoot it off._

Just walk away and let the old coot rot. He locked himself in there, so he can get himself out.

"Question 7: Oh no! You've been exposed to radiation, and a mutated hand has grown out of your stomach! What's the best course of treatment?

_Large doses of anti-mutagent, but some of these questions are pretty ridiculous. There is no radiation in the vault. Besides, when am I going to leave? The vault has been secured since it was first filled before the war._

A bullet to the brain.

"Question 8: A fellow Vault 101 resident is in possession of a Grognak the Barbarian comic book, issue number 1. You want it. What's the best way to obtain it?"

_That's pretty easy. I'd put some knock out drops into his drink when he wasn't looking. I'd then take the book while he was unconscious._

Steal the comic book at gunpoint, no problemo.

"Question 9: You decide it would be fun to play a prank on your father. You enter his private restroom when no one is looking, and..."

_Hm... Put a firecracker in the toilet. That's sure to cause some chaos._

"And finally, question 10: Who is indisputably the most important person in Vault 101: He who shelters us from the harshness of the atomic wasteland, and to whom we owe everything we have, including our lives?"

_I hate this question. What's the purpose of it? None. It might be funny to put down my name, or even Stanley's or my dad's, but... Nah._

"Well, that concludes the infamous G.O.A.T.," Mr. Brotch stated. "Please remember to turn in you test before you leave. You don't want to know what happens to people who fail the G.O.A.T."

That test was honestly a joke. None of those questions had anything to do with a job. They believed that it was some kind of sick joke played by the Overseers to make all of them worry and to cover up for the fact that they give the residents random jobs or just put us in the same jobs as their parents.

"Done, Mr. B," Mei stated.

"Very well. Let's see what you get... Huh. It says two jobs. Tattoo artist or masseuse. We've never had this happen before. Your pick, I guess."

She thought for a split second before saying, "Tattoo artist."

"Alright then. I wonder who will be brave enough to be your first customer as the vault's new Tattoo Artist. I promise it won't be me."

Hikari handed hers to Mr. Brotch.

"Well, well. I guess you twins are more alike than you seem," Mr. Brotch stated. "You've also got a choice to make. Waste Management Specialist and Clinical Test Subject. Well, which one do you want?"

No way did she want to be involved in Waste Management. "Clinical Test Subject."

"Interesting. 'Clinical Test Subject'... sounds like something you should excel at. I guess you and your dad will be working together."

She nodded and waited for Amata with her sister. Figures Amata'd get to be Supervisor. _Still, hopefully Dad and I will grow closer since I'll be working with him_. Ever since they were little, he hadn't really had much to do with his daughters. They knew he loved them, but could tell the death of their mother weighed on him, putting distance between them. They thought he partially blamed them for her death. According to him and everyone else, they looked just like their dad, but they each had something of their mother. Hikari had her personality and Mei had her eyes and hair. They had his pale, pale skin, but being in a vault all of your life does that to you.

Still, Hikari couldn't wait to tell her dad the news. She would be working alongside both him and Jonas. She was a bit worried as to how he would take it, though, because of everything that had happened.

Well, her dad took it better that she thought he would. He seemed actually excited that she would be working with him in the medicinal field. Hikari would mostly be the test subject for new chemicals which needed to be tested. The twin's father said that he wouldn't dare test them if he thought they were dangerous or addictive, only to see if they had the desired effect, but she couldn't help worrying. What if something happened and she was impaired somehow, or if she would become addicted? Then what would he do? She guessed she didn't really have a choice. This was what she picked and there was no going back. Maybe she should have gone with Waste Management Specialist. That may be disgusting, but at least it was safe.

Their father wasn't too pleased with Mei's outcome, but he supported her, none the less. He congratulated her, and told her that one day; maybe she could give him a tattoo. She decided that she would have no regrets about choosing her job. Heck, she may come to hate it, but she knew it would be better than rubbing the old people's bodies. She would much rather be inflicting pain on other people than making them feel better. She would be better at it, too. Of that much, she was certain.

Hikari's first time taking one of the chemicals was rather intimidating, but she put on a brave face. It was supposed to cure acne by speeding up the body's programmed healing ability and cell regeneration. The other teens were having fits about it, and the Overseer couldn't take on any more complaints from irritated teens. When the needle pierced her skin, she cringed in pain, but endured it. At first, she felt nothing, but then a weird stinging sensation spread across her face. Her father and Jonas had a curious expression.

"Well, is it working?" she questioned.

"Curiously well," their dad stated. "We'll need to keep the observation going for 24 hours to see in any kind of rash occurs, then wait for more acne to develop, if any, then test again, if things go according to plan."

She nodded, feeling hopeful. Jonas began to input the new data into the medical lab's computer. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

Mei had very few people come in, but she liked it that way. Only Butch and his gang had entered to have snakes done in order to prove that once they became a tunnel snake, they would always be one. Corny, but she didn't complain. It at least gave herself something to do other than help out Stanley and give herself multiple tattoos.

By the time they reached 19, there had only been one incident where things didn't go according to plan with the experiments being done on Hikari, and that was because she had an allergic reaction to the chemical. She probably would have died if it hadn't been for Jonas's quick thinking of flushing out her system with some sort of pre-war chemical used for drug addictions.

As the two went to bed, they had no idea what was about to happen to them. They were soon woken by Amata shaking them and loud, blaring sirens that echoed throughout the halls, accompanied by red, flashing lights and the Overseer's voice.

"Come on, wake up!" she said.

"Amata? What's going on?" Hikari questioned.

"You... You don't know?

"No, I know exactly what's going on. I mean, I've only been sleeping since around ten," Mei sarcastically replied.

"Sorry, I thought you knew," she stated. "Your father... He escaped! He just left the vault, and my dad, well, he's gone crazy! He... He had Jonas killed... Beaten down by the security forces... But that's not important right now. The point is he's sent for the guards to take you to him or kill you if you resist! He thinks you helped your dad escape!"

"What? He really has gone insane!" Mei said.

"Yes! That's why I thought up a plan of escape. There's a secret passage out of here, but you'll have to break into my dad's office. Here," she said as she handed them about 10 bobby pins. "Take these and you can get in, but I don't know the password. You'll have to figure that out. I took my dad's pistol and grabbed the ammo for it. Promise me you'll only use it if you absolutely need to."

Hikari nodded. "Thank you, Amata."

"No problem, now, I have to go. I'll try to meet you down there, but don't wait for me. This may be goodbye."

"If it is, then goodbye, Amata, and thanks for everything."

She nodded before running out of the room. The twins were left with each other, and decided that it would be best if they packed their things in order to survive in the outside world. Hikari grabbed her Vault 101 bag, the BB guns and BBs, their baseball bats, jumpsuits, and all of the boxes of food from the kitchen. Mei grabbed all of the available bottles of water and stimpaks and chems from the med-box on the wall. They stored it all in their pip-boy's storage area and wondered just how much it could hold, but they could still felt the weight of their supplies pressing on them, slowing them down.

When they were done, Mei strapped the 10mm pistol to her waste and stored the clips of ammo in Hikari's bag that she wore for easy access. As they ventured out in the hall, they came across an officer, but it was so dark that neither could tell who it was. He then started yelling about radroaches, so the two used the distraction to make my way down the hall, towards the Overseer's office.

"Hikari! Mei!" They heard someone yell. Butch. "Guys, you just gotta help me! It's my ma! The radroaches! They're killin' her! They're killin' my ma!"

"Butch, if only you understood the meaning of the word, 'Irony,'..." Mei said.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it, but please, if not for me, then for my ma."

They sighed in sync. They had hated Butch's guts, but his mom... Well, she didn't deserve to die, and besides having a hangover every single time she came into the medical center, she was always kind to Hikari and one of the few customers to actually visit Mei and get a tattoo. She would always say how good of a kid Butch was deep down inside, and for them to find it in their heart to forgive him.

"Fine, but I'm doing it for her, not you," Hikari submitted.

He seemed elated. "Thanks!"

The twins followed him as he ran into the room. Mrs. DeLoria's cries for help penetrated through the door, and Mei had the pistol out of its holster, and Hikari had the BB gun, cocked and ready to go. Butch ran after one, and the other two fired a few shots into one before it stopped moving. A few more into the third radroach, and it, too, stopped its attacks.

"We did it!" Butch cried. "Thank you so much. Here, take this-" he stripped his jacket off and handed it to Hikari- "I know I've been a jerk to you both in the past, and I apologize. Thanks, guys."

They nodded and stuck the jacket into Hikari's pip boy. Neither of them really wanted anything to do with it, but who knows? It may come in handy someday. As they pressed on, they killed a few more radroaches along the way before reaching the atrium. Mei was running low on ammo and decided that it would be best if she only shot at the radroaches if there was no way around them.

They could hear arguing up ahead of them in another room. They could barely make out the Overseer's voice.

"Please, Amata, just tell me where your friends are, and then you're free to go. Officer Mac doesn't enjoy this anymore than I do," he stated.

"Please, I don't know! Just let me go!" Amata pleaded.

"I'm afraid I can't sweetheart."

There was a loud, "Smack!" and a cry from Amata.

"Now please, just tell us where she is."

Mei couldn't stand it. The Overseer was ordering Officer Mack to attack his own daughter for information. How sick and crazy was this guy? Without thinking and blinded by anger and hatred, she entered the room, despite Hikari's pleas for her not to.

"Stop!" she shouted. "It's me you want, not her."

"Ah. Amata, you may leave," the Overseer ordered. "I hope you have come to turn yourself in, young lady."

She chuckled. "What makes you think that, you sick, twisted-"

"Please, watch your language. Officer, teach her a lesson."

Mei felt the police baton collide with her right arm, causing Hikari, despite her better judgment, to jump into the room. They pulled out their guns, aiming for his head. Two shots rang out, piercing through Officer Mack's helmet. He stopped, his baton in mid-air, and slumped to the floor, a pool of blood slowly forming around his head. They couldn't believe that they actually just shot and killed Officer Mack. Hikari was almost... horrified by it, but knew it was necessary for survival. Mei, on the other hand, had felt a sense of pride and joy in her first kill.

"Now, tell me, what is the password for the computer in your office?" Mei demanded, Hikari too stunned to utter a word.

"Amata," he muttered. "It's... It's Amata. Just go away, and take the key to my office."

She yanked the key out of his hand and ran. As they were passing the medical quarters, Hikari thought it would be a good idea to grab the stimpaks. She entered, and her breath hitched. Jonas was lying on the floor, an ocean of his own blood surrounding him, and his limbs bent out of place. She could feel tears prick in her eyes at the sight. Jonas had been a good friend of both the sweeter twin and her father. She stood there for a moment before treading further into the room. She saw a holotape lying in his hand. It said, "To My Baby Girls," on it. Curious, as Jonas had no children, let alone a wife, she gently took it out of his hand and stored it in her pip-boy. They would have to listen to it later. Their main focus was to hurry and get out before more security officers showed up.

With the stimpaks and other chems safe inside their pip-boys, they left the room and headed to the Overseer's office. Mei unlocked it and the twins entered. Upon approaching the giant computer, it asked for the password, and Hikari typed in Amata. It let them in without any trouble and selected the action to open the secret door to the exit. They jumped when the whole desk began to move behind them, but they slipped down in and flew down the stairs, hitting the switch to close the entrance behind them. They were plunged into darkness, so they turned on my pip-boy light. It wasn't much, but combined, they could at least see where the door was.

They entered the room and went down another hallway. They could see the switch for the door to the vault. Mei pressed the switch, and lights flashed along with a siren. The horrible screeching noise of metal on metal echoed throughout the room and down the hallway as the vault door opened. Amata approached them from behind.

"You... You did it! I almost didn't even believe that it was possible."

They nodded before Hikari said, "Thanks for helping, Amata."

"You're very welcome, but I'm sure you could've done it without me."

"Maybe, but I doubt it. I'd ask you to come with me, but I think the Vault needs you more than I do," she told her.

"I guess... I guess this is goodbye."

"Goodbye Amata, and thanks for everything," the black-haired girl replied.

They could hear security guards approaching and decided it was now or never. The two ran out the door and into a cave. An old, wooden door stood in front of them. Light pierced through the cracks. Slowly, Mei opened the door, ready to face the new surroundings and venture off to find their father.

After Notes:

Well, whaddya think? I'd love to know through a review or PM. :)

Anyway, I wanted to give the G.O.A.T. to give a bit of insight of the two personalities. Oh, and while editing, I was having trouble with number nine. It's supposed to be both underlined and in italics, but for some reason, it refuses to do both.

I'll be going into first person soon. I've already got this whole thing typed out, so there shouldn't be many delays. I've just re-edited the chapter again, but if you notice any mistakes, please let me know. Much appreciated, HikariMei.


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome to the Wasteland

Chapter 2: Welcome to the Wasteland

Their hands shot up as the bright light penetrated their eyes, nearly blinding them, and it took them a second to adjust. As they took in their new surroundings, they were rather disappointed at what they saw. Everything around them was in ruins, and it reminded them of the deserts that were in Hikari's books. They saw a large town off into the distance, and decided to check it out.

The Wasteland was so hot that they both had a full bottle of water and their face were dripping with sweat by the time that they reached the town. They were hungry, but had no way to make food, and only two of shots left for the 10mm pistol and three BBs left due to some weird creatures that looked like giant scorpions. They called them radscorpions, since they were a lot like radroaches in the respect of being mutated to giant size. As they approached the town, they greeted by a robot.

"Welcome- to- Mega-ton- Paaaardner," he greeted.

Before them, the giant door opened with a whirl and they were let into the town rather easily. It was made mostly of bits and pieces of scrap metal, and it looked like the buildings would topple if a good wind storm ripped through the town. The people looked cheerless and in a state of despair, and they all had a very unpleasant odor and their clothing was all dull and dirty. As the twins ventured further into the town, they were confronted by a man dressed in old western clothing.

"Welcome to Megaton. I'm Lucas Simms, sheriff and mayor of this town. I don't know why, but I like you two," he greeted.

"I'm Hikari," she stated. "And this is Mei. We're looking for our father. He's middle-aged and looks a lot like us. Has he passed through here?"

He thought for a moment. "Possibly. We get so many people in and out, it's hard to keep track. You could go try to talk to Colin Moriarty up in his saloon. It's up on top of the hill, right over the bomb."

"The... The bomb?" Mei asked.

"Yes. This town was built around and named after an atomic bomb. Not the smartest idea, I know, but it hasn't gone off since it was dropped here over 200 years ago. Seems pretty safe, but I can't help but worry," he stated.

"I could take a look at it," Mei replied. "Maybe I could disarm it, you know."

"Well, if you can do that, I'll pay ya. Say, 200 caps?"

Judging from his statement, they concluded that caps were the form of currency out in the wastes, much like the bills that they had back in the vault.

"Well, this is a pretty dangerous job, and I know just how grateful you'd be. Say, 500?" Mei offered.

"You drive a hard bargain, but... fine."

"I'll be sure to take a look at it after I find a place to stay," Mei said.

"Moriarty's has a room for rent, I believe. Speak to Nova about that."

Mei nodded and Hikari muttered a word of thanks before heading off to find the saloon. It was rather far up, and Hikari felt kinda dizzy looking down, so she hurried inside. It was dusty and dirty in the saloon, but they kept that fact to themselves. They didn't really want to attract any attention, since they weren't any good with people. Back in that vault, the only person Hikari and Mei ever got close to other than their father and Jonas was Amata. Everyone else just shunned them, even made fun of them, but they learned to ignore it. They approached the bar and sat down on a stool.

"Excuse me," Hikari said to the bar tender. When he turned around, she nearly clamped her hand over her mouth, but resisted the urge. He looked like some sort of zombie out of an old horror movie, but she did her best to ignore it.

"Can I get you anything, smoothskin?" he asked in a gravelly voice.

"The heck? What are you? Some kind of zombie?" Mei shouted.

"Mei!" Hikari scolded. "That's not very nice!" She then turned to the bartender. "Please excuse her. We're actually looking for our father, and possibly a place to stay for the night. He looks a lot like us, but he's middle-aged. Have you seen him?"

"Wait, you're not going to hit me?" he asked

"No," the younger twin replied. She was pretty sure that it wasn't normal to do so to a person, but maybe it was there. "Why would I?"

"Because I'm a ghoul," he stated.

"What's a ghoul?" the older twin wondered aloud.

He gave them an odd look, and then shook his head. "You two from the Vault?" Hikari nodded before he continued. "A ghoul is a person who has been exposed to too much radiation and hasn't died. Most people don't tolerate us, or shoot us on sight, thinking we're all flesh-eating zombies. Those are the ferals, and those you want to shoot and ask questions later. A lot of us are quite civil, however. Anyway, I'm Gob."

"I'm Hikari. Hikari Mansen," she responded, sticking her hand out. He hesitantly held his out and shook it. "And this is my sister, Mei."

"Right. Now, what was your question again?"

"We're looking for our father. He's middle-aged and looks pretty much exactly like us. Have you seen him?"

"I believe I have, but he left this morning."

"Do you know where he went?" Mei pressed.

"Sorry, smoothskin. I'd like to help you, but I'd get myself in trouble with Moriarty again. Try talking to him."

"Please, if you have information..." Hikari began.

"Sorry," he said. "Like I said, I can't. Talk to Moriarty."

She sighed. "Well, thanks. I understand, and at least I know I'm on the right track."

"I really am sorry, though, smoothskin."

"Hey, Gob, what's a smoothskin?"

"You, you know? Cause your skin is so smooth, unlike a ghoul's."

"Oh," was all she managed to say.

"Gob, what have I said about yappin' to all of the customers?" a man shouted as a door behind Gob burst open. The man spoke in a thick accent, but I didn't know what it was, and he had white, fly-away hair and crystal-blue eyes. The whole bar suddenly went silent. He raised a hand and cuffed Gob on the backside of the head, all because he was talking to the twins.

"Hey!" Hikari shouted. She had always avoided raising her voice, as she didn't like conflict, but she had the gut feeling that he did that often and that Gob would never stand up for himself. "Why did you do that? I was asking him some questions!"

He turned to them with an angry expression, but it quickly turned to an amused, yet confused one.

"My, my, my. It's been years since I last saw ya two, lass," he said. "Jus' wee, cryin' babes, if I remember. You an' your dad were headin' over to the Vault... What, 19 years ago?"

"I'm afraid you're mistaken. I've lived in the Vault my entire life, and-"

"Yes, yes. I've heard stuff from the other crazies who have escaped that god-forsaken place. 'We live in the Vault! We die in the Vault! All hail the Overseer! Blah! Blah! Blah!' Kiddies, trust me. You weren't born there."

"But what reason would my dad have for lying to me if that was true?" Mei challenged.

He sighed. "Lassies, let's continue this conversation away from pryin' ears. Come back into my office, please."

"Why?"

"Do you wanna know where your dad went or not?"

They frowned, but followed him back into his office.

"Where is my dad?" Mei questioned.

"I'll be straight with ya. He was here, but now he's not. Where he went? Now, tha's gonna cost ya. 100 caps, to be exact."

"I don't have 100 caps," Hikari stated.

"Well, then, there's a problem. Now... Let's see... I know of a way you can get some caps. You interested?"

"Let's hear it," Mei said.

"Good, good. Now, I used to have a junkie that worked for me. Silver's her name. She and I had a deal going, but she backed out and stole some of me caps. Last I heard, she was camping out down in Springvale, not too far from here."

"I'm not interested in killing anyone," Hikari stated.

No, no, no. Just get the darn caps from her and you can pay me with them. I don't care how, as long as I get them!"

Mei huffed. "Fine."

"Good girl, now run along."

They glared at him before turning to leave. Charging them for the location of their dad? Seriously? They knew that they would have to go to Springvale, though. After all, they need the caps. Maybe they could just disarm the bomb, but they had no idea how to work a nuclear bomb.

"So, how'd it go, smoothskins?" Gob asked.

"I need 100 caps for the location. It's ridiculous," Hikari whispered in fear of making Moriarty upset and charging them more.

"That's Moriarty for you."

"Anyway, where's Springvale?" Mei asked.

"You got a map?"

Hikari nodded and pulled up the one on her pip-boy, turning it so they could both see.

"Right around there," he said as he pointed on the screen. "Slightly north and east from here, about a ten minute walk."

"Well, I'd better be going," the younger stated. "Thanks."

"No problem kid, and hey," he said, dropping his voice, "I'll probably get into trouble for this, but for you, I'll risk it. You'll get a discount on drinks from me."

"Gob, I... Thank you."

He nodded, a light smile forming over his dried, decaying lips.

"Well, I think I'll try to take a look at that bomb, see if I can disarm it," Mei said. "You go on ahead and get the caps from what's-her-name. We can meet back up here later."

Hikari reluctantly agreed. She wasn't a fighter – that was Mei – but Hikari was better with people.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

As Gob had said, Springvale was nearly a ten minute walk, but I found it no problem. There was only one standing house, so I decided to try there first. I wasn't sure if I should knock or just enter, so I knocked.

"Who is it? Who's there?" a voice asked.

"My name is Hikari, and I'm looking for Silver," I stated.

"She's not here, now go away," she replied.

"Then to whom am I speaking?" I questioned.

"My name? It's-" insert slight pause here- "Jenny."

"We both know you are Silver, so please let me in. I just want to talk."

I could hear her grumble before she opened the door a crack. She held her pistol close and at the ready, in case I tried something, but I wasn't going to. Her hair was like her name: Silver, and greased down on top of her head, but it seemed well taken care of, otherwise.

"I am here on behalf of Moriarty, as you may have already guessed, but I mean you no harm. He has asked that I come and... take care of you, but I have no intention of doing that," I explained. "How many caps did you take?"

"400," she stated.

"Split that with me, and I will tell Moriarty that you have been taken care of," I stated. "Deal?"

"You... You'd do that for me?" she questioned, her voice softening. "Nobody has... ever done anything like that for me."

"Yes. You see, I need caps to pay Moriarty for information, and he sent me here."

"Fine," she said.

Suddenly, my stomach began to growl, and I realized that I hadn't eaten since last night, and it was already afternoon.

"How about I fix us something to eat before you go?" she offered.

"That would be appreciated," I replied. "Thank you."

I followed her into the kitchen/dining room.

"Well, you want squirrel bits, Salisbury steak, or squirrel stew?"

"Squirrel? I've never had it before. Is it any good?"

"Not really. Nothing's good anymore, but you're not from around here, are you?"

"Nope," I replied. "I'm from the Vault. Just left this morning."

She whistled as she pulled out a few somethings on a stick. I could only guess that they were squirrel pieces or something. "I'm surprised you made it this far."

"People tend to be surprised by what I can and can't do."

"Well, it sucks that you're already trapped by Moriarty, then," she said as she started the oven and took a seat across from me. "He's a right bastard, he is."

"I can tell. The way he talks down to people, I can't stand him. He thinks himself better than everyone else."

"Trust me kid, he gets nastier than that. What's he got you on?"

"He has the needed information to locate my father," I stated. "Everyone in the Vault basically tried to kill me, except Butch, my sister, and Amata, that is. They all believed that my sister and I had something to do without father escaping, but we had no idea. Still, I killed one person with my sister and left others to the radroaches. Honestly, the trained officers can't kill them, and yet my sister and I killed one with a BB gun when we were 10?"

Silver laughed before a timer went off and she pulled what I assumed to be squirrel bits out of the oven and a two bottles of water. She tossed me one and handed me a stick.

"To being able to kill radroaches," she said as she held up her bottle of water.

"And escaping the clutches of Moriarty," I added as I touched mine to hers.

She nodded before we started eating. The squirrel was tough and chewy, not to mention the fact that it tasted funny, but it was food, and food seemed pretty hard to come by in the wastes. I thanked Silver for the meal and before heading back to Megaton. It was near sundown by the time I approached the gate, and I was definitely ready for bed, but there was still the cost of a bed, but I didn't know how much that would cost me. Hopefully, it would be under 100 caps. I approached Colin as he sat at the bar, drinking a bottle of whiskey. I smirked as I handed him half of the caps I earned.

"100 caps, as promised."

"Very well, lass. Your father headed out to GNR Studios. No idea why, though."

"What's GNR?" I questioned.

"GNR? Well that'll cost ya 50 more caps, and I'll show ya where it's located."

"No thanks. I'll just... ask around town," I replied. "Now, how much for a room?"

"Talk to Nova about that. She's the hooker standing over there in the corner smokin' a cig."

I nodded and went over to the person. "You Nova?"

"Sure am, honey," she replied. "What can I help you with?"

"How much for a room?"

"120 caps."

"I only have 100... Any idea where I can get 20 more?"

"Look," she said in a quiet voice. "The only reason I'm telling you this is because you put a smile on Gob's face, something I haven't seen in a while, but don't go tellin' anyone, 'kay? I hear old Walter up in the Water Treatment Facility is looking for someone to help him with repairs, but they have to have a decent knowledge of that stuff. His pay rate is pretty decent, too. I'd hurry before the sun goes down."

I nodded before leaving the building. I asked a rather old man who tried to tell me about the Enclave where it was, ignoring his seemingly crazy rant. He informed me of its location before I headed up that way. I could see Mei still working on the bomb and waved to her. She waved back, but seemed busy so I left. Standing outside the building was an old man smoking a cigarette. I nodded to him before trying to enter the Water Treatment Facility, but it was locked.

"May I ask why you are trying to get in there?" the man asked.

"I was told to see Walter about helping out, since I really need caps, and I was told that I could find him here," I replied.

"Well, I'm Walter, and I guess it's no secret that this place is going to take a turn for the worse any day now."

"Well, I'm available if you need me," I stated. "I used to help out Stanley back in the vault during my free time. I'm pretty handy with a wrench."

"Well, according to the pressure gages, there are leaks. I'd guess three. If you can find and fix them, I'll pay you 200 caps."

"Do you have a wrench or any other tools I could borrow?"

"Sure, kid." He took a wrench, a screwdriver, and a roll of old tape off of his belt. If you need anything else, I'll either be here or inside."

Thanks."

I set off towards the entrance, remembering that I saw a leak nearby. Sure enough, there was one there. I tightened the valve and used the tape to make sure that if it came loose, there would be something to hold it. I followed the pipes until I came to a second leak up near the Common House. I thought about sleeping there, but the stench of the room just by passing it made me keep going. That pipe was slightly more challenging to fix, but still no problem. The third one did pose a problem. It was up on top of the Church of Atom. Not only was I afraid of heights, but it seemed the only way to reach it would be to jump over from the walkway next to it. I steeled myself for what might possibly be my last venture before climbing up to Craterside Supply.

The distance between my destination and I seemed to increase to more that I stared at it. I shook my head before staring at my destination. Slowly, I climbed over the safety rail, holding on for dear life. If I fell, I knew it would be the end of me. My heartbeat quickened and I used the adrenaline pumping through my veins to thrust myself across the gap. I landed with a metallic "Thump," my eyes closed tightly. Slowly, I realized that I was still alive. I did my best to focus on the task at hand, but my hands were shaking with fear and adrenaline, which made my work even more difficult than it already was. After fumbling with it for a while, I managed to stop the spray of water. A slowly slid back over to the edge of the building before hopping back over to the other side, grasping the railing when I could. I then heaved myself over and headed back to the Water Treatment Facility. The sun had just finished setting when I found Walter dropping his cigarette onto the metal, snuffing it out with his boot.

"I-I did it," I stated, out of breath and soaking wet. "Three leaks all fixed. Last one was on top of a roof."

"Well, I'll be. Come on in and I'll count out your caps."

I followed him into the old building. He led me over to a desk and pulled out a key, unlocking a draw and pulling out a stash of caps. Quickly, he handed me 200 of them.

"Thank you," he said, "But it's only a matter of time before something else comes up. If you happen upon any scrap metal, I'll give you some caps for it."

I nodded and kept that in mind. I'd probably need more caps later.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I stared at the stupid bomb. During my free time, which was most of the time back in the vault, I had a considerate amount, considering the fact that I was bored out of my mind with only a couple of rare customers, I went down to help Stanly out with whatever needed to be done, along with my sister. We did various jobs, but I usually took on the worse jobs. That usually meant dealing with unclogging anything that had been stuck in the plumbing. I found quite a few cherry bombs, so I had handled explosives before. Still, none of them were as big as the bomb I was going to attempt to disarm. I looked at the internal components, but there was a lot of stuff present that I didn't know what to do with. Why did they even build a town around the stupid bomb anyways? Bright idea. Hey, I got an idea! Let's build our new town around that giant bomb that made a crater and could kill us all in a split second at any moment! Yeah... Idiots. I don't know how long it was until I saw Hikari up above me, waving. I was rather busy, but managed to wave back for a split second. When I looked up at her, though, I noticed how late it was getting, and I was making absolutely no progress on it. I sighed, wiping the sweat off of my forehead. I was running out of daylight. The light of my pip-boy was not enough to see in the dark and, by the looks of things, Hikari had gotten the location of our dad, meaning that we would probably be leaving the following day.

I don't even know why we were following him. He left us, without so much as a goodbye and without letting us know, in the middle of the night. He never loved me, nor did he tell me, ever. He played favorites, even though he didn't mean to. Hikari was the sweet, innocent one to follow in her father's shoes while I was the rebel. I didn't care what people thought of me, and I guess that it rubbed people the wrong way.

I decided to take a break for a moment and pulled out a bottle of water. I glanced at my Geiger counter. I had taken about a hundred rads, but that was nothing that a rad-away couldn't fix. Suddenly, my pip-boy made a beep. I glanced down. "Enclave Radio Station Found," it read. Curiously, I turned it on. Some man was on talking about how we needed to rebuild America. Most of the things he said, I agreed with, but the music was repetitive and irritating. I then noticed that another radio station was trying to be picked up. I switched that one on, but I could barely hear the station over all of the static. It sounded like someone was talking, and then some sort of music played, but like I said, I couldn't really hear it over the static.

I sighed and turned it off. By then, the sun had set and it was dark. I hoped that Hikari had scraped up enough caps to get us a room, as I had made absolutely no progress with the atomic bomb. I returned to work before it was too late to study it any longer.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I re-entered the saloon and counter out 120 caps for a room and handed them to Nova.

"Thanks, hon. Your room is the second one you come across upstairs."

I nodded and headed up to the room my sister and I would be staying in. I made sure that everything was in order before heading down to see if she had made any progress on the bomb. I approached her and her pip-boy light was on, but it wasn't doing much for her. I turned mine on and held it up so she could see well. She looked up at me, a bit surprised.

"I was actually about to head up to see what was going on," she stated. "You got the location?"

I nodded. "He went to GNR, but I don't know where or what that is."

"GNR is a radio station," she stated. "I was listening to it for a bit earlier, but all I really got was static. The other station is run by the government, apparently. Some of the things President Eden talks about, I have to agree with. Anyway, I can't make heads or tails of this, so let's head inside. You got us a room, right?"

I nodded. "And we have 180 caps to spare."

"God, how much did that Silver girl take?" she questioned.

"I got two hundred from her," I stated. "And then another two hundred from old Walter for fixing some pipes. He also said that if we bring him any scrap metal, he'll pay us for it."

"That'll help. Well," she said with a stretch, "Let's head up to bed."

"I've checked it out already. It kinda smells funny, but it's all we've got right now. I've still got a couple sweet rolls if you want to eat those for dinner. I can probably find some place to whip up some real food in the morning."

"Sounds good," my sister stated. "I take it we head out tomorrow morning?"

"Once we find out where GNR is."

She nodded and we headed up to our room. Once inside, I pulled out two sweet rolls and a bottle of water. Mei had taken out her own water. We ate the rolls together.

"This makes me kind of homesick," I almost whispered. "I wish we could go back to the way things were."

"Why? I kinda like this place. I've always been pretty claustrophobic, and I like not having any restrictions on my actions. I feel... free."

I could see her point, but I didn't agree. I liked being safe more than being stuck out in the wastes. Still, the sooner we found our dad, the better. He had always made me feel safe back in the vault. Just his presence was able to sooth my fears worries when I was little. I wish we could go back, but I knew we couldn't. We never would be able to.

* * *

After Notes:

Another chapter. :)

I have no life other than band/drumline/school.

Oh, and either my laptop or Microsoft word isn't working right, so my spell checker-thingy is malfunctioning. Please let me know if you notice any issues.

You know what would make me happy? Reviews. Much appreciated, HikariMei.


	3. Chapter 3: The Underground

Chapter 3: The Underground

~Mei's POV~

I woke up the following morning. I was thinking about the bomb all night, and I had an epiphany. There was a wire that was odd. It looked kind of special. I had a feeling that that wire was the one. I would have to take a look at it after I had breakfast.

My muscles screamed in protest as I sat up. My body wasn't yet used to toiling in the burning sun all day, but I would have to press on to GNR Studios, wherever that was, in order to find my dad.

Kari was nowhere to be seen, but I knew she couldn't have gone off too far. As I went down the stairs, I saw my younger sister sitting on a stool, talking to the barkeeper. She held her pip-boy up, and he was pointing to various places. I went over and sat next to her.

"And take care, kid. Be sure to watch for the Super Mutants. They tend to rip your kind to shreds. Don't interact with anyone unless it's a caravan. Be sure to watch for Raiders. They tend to shoot and questions later."

"What are Super Mutants and Raiders?" she questioned. "And Caravans? How will I know when I see them?"

"Super Mutants are giant green monsters. You'll know when you see one. Raiders are humans that have sadistic needs and enjoy torturing other humans and ghouls," he stated. "The usually wear very... revealing armor covered in spikes. Caravans are what we use to trade goods and such. They usually have a Brahmin carrying their goods and some sort of guard. Trust me when I say you'll know when you see them."

"Thank you, Gob. I'm going to leave after I stock up on more ammo and go wash my clothes. Have any idea where I can do these things?"

"You can go to Moira's at Craterside Supply for the ammo, then just go to the bathroom to wash your clothes."

"Thanks," she replied before turning to me. "I've got the location to GNR, so we can go as soon as we're ready."

My sister nodded before she headed out to find Moira Brown. She had the caps, and I was no good with the ration coupons down in the Vault. I would always use them up if I got my hands on them, so I was never really allowed to touch them. The same would probably happen with the caps. As I was about to leave, a man in the corner of the bar motioned for me to come over to him.

"My, my. Just when I had all but given up hope. My dear girl, I am very happy to make your acquaintance. I am Mr. Burke," he introduced. "And you, well, you are not a resident of this putrescent cesspool. That makes you a rather valuable individual."

I could tell he wanted something. "Look, I'm kind of in a hurry. If you want something, just spit it out."

"Very well," he continued. "I am looking to employ an individual with no ties to Megaton, no interest in its future. You see, I need Megaton to... go away, and you are going to see that it does."

"Wait, you're going to destroy the town?"

"No, no. I am merely a recruiter. YOU get to have the real fun," he stated. "As you know, the bomb for which this town is named is very much alive. All it needs is a little... motivation. I have in my possession a Fusion Pulse Charge, made especially for this occasion. Once rigged, it will be detonated by you at a safe location. Easy money."

Judging by the way he was presenting himself and the body language he was using, he was trying to seduce me into doing the dirty work. This stuff had already been tried on my back in the Vault by the other kids. Well, let the games begin.

"Well, Mr. Burke, I must say that I have a proposition of my own. Would you care to hear it?" I asked in my most seductive voice.

"Color me intrigued. Go on..."

"Well, you see, I live here, lover. Surely, a man like you wouldn't want to hurt little me..."

"W-well... Of course not. I mean, I've never met a woman quite like you before. This... This changes everything. I'm not... not sure what I'm going to tell Tenpenny... I'll think of something," he stuttered. "You wait here. I have some important business to attend to, my dear, but you won't be waiting long. I shall send for you soon. Still, should you change your mind..."

He slipped an odd device into my hand as he stood up to leave. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I had plenty of time before I decided exactly what I did want to do. I stared at him, curiously wondering why he had given in to my advances so quickly. I knew I was pretty, but I guess I was kind of interesting, too. Most people could tell that I wasn't your average wastelander.

I fingered the device in my hand, debating on whether or not to detonate it rather than deactivate it. It would be much easier, and I would be done quicker, but we had to leave soon. We probably wouldn't be going back any time soon, and I didn't have any grudge against the people of Megaton. Maybe someday I would, but not at the moment. If we came back to town someday, I might make a decision then. I felt the power of the device speaking to me. It told me just how much power I had over the people here. I could kill them in an instant, and they would never know that it was me. Or, I could be a goody-two shoes and deactivate the bomb. Whatever. I'd decide later.

Instead of going to take a look at the bomb, I wandered around town. I somehow ended up in front of the exit. I wondered just what lay outside the walls, but I had practically no ammo for my gun. Kari was getting that. She was probably getting something else, too, for herself, and I would guess that she would see about more medical supplies. I sighed before returning to the saloon.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

Moira Brown was a rather... enthusiastic individual who requested my help with some kind of book. I turned her down, saying that I didn't have time. Truly, she seemed pretty crazy, but I ignored it and purchased all of her 10mm ammo and a .32mm pistol for myself, along with the ammo. I had to sell my BB gun and the ammo for that, but it was for the best. The gun was nowhere near as powerful as some of the ones that people out in the wastes used. She then gave me some kind of armored Vault 101 jumpsuit, but I have no idea why. It offered more protection, so I took it and thanked her. I noticed that she had a small kitchen in the back. I asked her if I could use it after I took a shower. She agreed readily and I bade her farewell for the moment.

After taking a shower and washing my clothes in the women's restroom, carefully watching my radiation level while doing so, I went back to Moira's to make something for my sister and I to eat. Again, I thanked Moira before heading back the saloon to say farewell to Gob and give the food to my sister. I was surprised to see that she was sitting at the bar, seemingly deep in thought. She didn't notice when I walked up to her and sat next to her. She didn't notice me until I set the bowl of Blamco Mac and Cheese in front of her.

"Oh, thanks," she muttered.

"You seem really out of it," I observed. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing," she lied as she turned to the food.

"Mei, I've known you for over nineteen years. Something is up. What is it?"

"Nothing I want to talk about," she said.

"It's not healthy for you to keep your emotions bottled up. You know you can tell me anything, right?"

She nodded. "Honestly, it's nothing of concern. I was wondering if we'll ever see dad again."

"Me too," I stated. "Well, once we're done eating, we can go. I've already got things in order. I've got your ammo and I bought myself a new gun, but we can trade if you want."

"Nope. I'm good," she said through a mouthful. I was honestly surprised that I could understand her.

"Well, kid, I guess this is goodbye," Gob stated.

"I guess so," I replied. "We'll be leaving once Mei finishes."

"Well, good luck," he said. "And be careful. The wastes change people. Don't do drugs; don't pick a fight, all that stuff. If you ever find Underworld, tell Carol I said Hi, and that I'm doing well."

"Thanks," I replied. "And I'll be sure to do that."

"You, too, Mei," he said, but it was more of a threat than a warning, judging by his tone.

She nodded, only half-listening. Something was up with her, and I knew it wasn't my place to pry, but I wanted to help her with whatever was bothering her.

The walk was rather hot. I was debating on removing my armored jumpsuit and just wearing my tee-shirt and shorts that I had underneath, but if I came across any that wished me harm, I would be very vulnerable. I suffered through it until I came across a place my pip-boy identified as Springvale elementary. A few red blips appeared on my radar. I glanced around. On top of the school, I counted three people, all in rather revealing armor, covered in shoulder spikes. Raiders.

I showed Mei before we crouched down behind a nearby dumpster. Luckily, they hadn't spotted us yet. We carefully took aim, activating our Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, or VATS. Green glazed over my vision as time seemed to slow down and the usual numbers popped up, telling me the percent chance of hitting each limb of each raider. I aimed for the right leg of the one on the right.

Our first shots rang out, signaling them to our presence. The first shot was lucky and hit the target, crippling his leg, nearly taking him out with one shot. I quickly fired two more, taking him out. We would have used VATS to help take out the other two, but my battery required charging. Luckily, it charged over time on its own. I manually aimed at them while avoiding their shots, which proved to be more difficult than I had originally thought. Mei was a much better shot than I was, and she wasn't hesitant with her shots. I didn't feel right.

I had been grazed by a couple bullets on my right arm and cheek, not to mention the fact that I had used a full clip of ammo after finishing them off. My pip-boy beeped, signaling that I had a full battery again. I glanced over at Mei. She had seemingly no cuts or injuries.

I sighed and went to attend to my wounds with a stimpak, but there were no wounds to attend to. I thought for sure that I felt the sting of the bullet, but there was nothing. Maybe I had imagined it in the heat of battle, but I shrugged it off. Mei had walked over to one of the Raiders that had fallen off of the roof. She smirked and pulled a couple rounds of 10mm ammo. I didn't want to go near the body, so I didn't know if she had anything that I would find useful.

We arrived not much longer after that, descending down the stairs into the dark, cool tunnels below. It felt so much better than being in the beating sun, but the cold was a bit too cold. I hugged my jumpsuit closer to my body, thankful that I had kept the armored one on. Entering an old ticket booth, I looked at a decrypted map, plotting my best course and getting a rough map for the tunnels. From the looks of things, most of the tunnels would be caved in, but I'd try my luck. I don't really know how long I walked through the tunnels, nor did I know how many feral ghouls, raiders, or radroaches Mei had killed before we were too tired to go on. We were starving and freezing, but had nothing to cook with, nor any more clothes. We decided to eat our last bit of sugar bombs, and while searching through my inventory, I noticed that I had a Tunnel Snakes Jacket. I didn't really want to wear it because it had belonged to my childhood bully, but I was desperate. I took it out and slipped it on. To my misfortune, it smelled just like Vault 101 and the disgusting cologne that Butch used to wear when trying to seduce Christine or Susie. It made me slightly sick to my stomach, but also comforted me in a strange way. I would never go back, ever. The Overseer would have all of his guards on alert, not to mention the fact that I needed the password to enter, but I didn't want to go back. They had kicked me out, and it was their loss, not mine. I was the only thing close to a doctor since they killed Jonas and Dad left. Andy might be able to be reprogrammed, but I doubted that after my 10th birthday when he destroyed the cake.

I sighed and shut off my pip-boy light, curling up with Mei in an abandoned supply closet nearby. It was cold, but I somehow managed to fall into an uneasy sleep.

The following morning, at least, I think it was morning, I awoke to gunshots. By the sound of it, it was a rather big gun; definitely not a pistol, but not anything really big, either. Probably just a two-handed gun, but the sound reverberated off of the walls, making it louder than it was. I could hear cries of pain and anger from Raiders, some shouting things along the lines of, "Die, zombie!" The only time I had heard that insult was back in Megaton when some of the rather rude residents were referring to Gob, so I could tell whoever it was, was a ghoul.

Mei was already peeking around the corner, so I quickly brought out my gun and turned the safety off. Once it was cocked, I slowly looked out the door and around the corner. Someone was taking on a bunch of raiders by himself with only the wall for cover. It was hard to make him out in the dark, but if he was taking on raiders, then we had a common enemy. The way he handled his gun, I could tell he was an expert, and definitely no feral.

From my vantage point, I could make out the forms of the raiders. Mei had already begun to attack the Raiders before I activated V.A.T.S. and quickly disposed of one. I ducked back into my shelter, waiting for the battery to refill, but it was slower than usual. I guessed it was because it was partially solar-powered. I turned my attention back to the battle and fired off the rest of my clip before taking cover again. The Raiders just seemed to keep coming, and I feared that Mei and I would soon run out of ammo. What had we just gotten ourselves into?

The Raiders had just seemed to notice Mei and me, and began to fire upon us, as well. We were forced to take cover in between shots, but the gunfire seemed to be letting up. I hoped that they were finally either thinning out or running out of ammo. Both would be best. I had only two clips left by the time the firing seemed to stop. The figure carefully entered the room before firing a couple shots. I watched as he then proceeded to turn to where we were hiding. Not knowing how he would react, I ducked back in, clutching my pistol tightly in my hands. It wasn't until he entered the room that I realized how _big_ he was. I guessed him to be nearing seven feet, with muscle literally showing through his clothing. He was packed solid, and he held a combat shotgun. He pointed the gun in our direction and motioned for us to stand up. He stood head and shoulders above me as I stood, my hands up and my gun placed on the floor.

"Pick it up, idiot," he said in a gravelly, almost mocking voice. "You lower your weapon to any wastelander that comes near you?"

"No," Mei stated, picking up my gun, handing it to me before I turned on my pip-boy light on so I could get a better view of my temporary ally. "It's just that we're almost out of ammo after saving your butt, and she'd rather not get into a fight at the moment."

He stared at me with his filmy blue eyes. I returned the stare, intimidated, but not letting it show through. I knew that we were completely at his mercy, but I wouldn't back down. I had to find my father. He was the only other person besides Mei that I had left. Suddenly, the ghoul turned around and headed down the tunnel.

"Hey, wait, where are you going?" Mei called after him. "We just saved you and didn't even get a thank-you!"

"Kid, I am not allowed to converse with anyone other than to tell them that I cannot converse with them," he stated, his gaze turning blank.

"Whoa, you act like you're a slave... Are you?"

He ignored us and turned back around, entering the gore-filled room. Something told me he was. Unfortunately, my pip-boy told me that I needed to pass through the room that he had just entered. He continued to ignore us as he dug around the room and searched through the bodies. He collected caps, but left everything else.

"Why are you only taking the caps when it's pretty obvious that you have the same kind of gun and ammo as that Raider?" I questioned.

Again, he ignored us and only took the caps. I was starting to feel sick to my stomach. Neither Mei's nor my gun had caused as big of a mess as the one we were standing in. The smell and sight made me want to empty the contents of my stomach on the floor, but I suppressed the urge. Mei might not be as sensitive as I was, but if I threw up, then she would, too.

Mei glared at him, but scavenged some ammo for our gun and a couple more stimpaks and med-x, all of which she added to my bag before continuing on our way. I could hear the footsteps of the ghoul from earlier coming from behind us.

"Why are you following me?" Mei asked without turning around or stopping.

Still, he gave her no reply. I wondered if he was almost feral. That would explain the silence and seemingly lack of understanding. Mei stopped and turned around to face him. As he neared us, I noticed that his arm was bleeding profusely through a hole.

"You're bleeding," I stated rather stupidly.

Being a doctor's daughter and medical lab rat, it was my instinct to pull out my medical supplies. He protested many, many times and tried to keep walking, but I forced him to hold still, telling him that I was a doctor. It took a while to get him to relax just enough for me to take care of it. I got the feeling that he didn't like or trust me at all, but I didn't care. He seemed to realize that I wasn't going to stop until he let me. It was my job to take care of injured people when my father or Jonas couldn't back in the Vault, even if the person being treated didn't want to. My father also said that I had something called "Maternal Instincts," so I would have urges to help people in need. Since Jonas was dead and my father was missing, my years of internal programming kicked in.

I wrapped the wound tightly in gauze after cleaning it up and bandaging it. After that, I pulled out two syringes, one of med-x and a stimpak. I ejected them both just before the wound into the exposed muscle. Gob had told me about ghouls and how they worked in my brief free time back in Megaton before I left, and he told me that meds didn't work well on ghouls, but radiation heals them and makes them stronger. I didn't have any kind on me, so I couldn't help him other than that.

I noticed that the ghoul's skin was rather rough, and not squishy like Gobs. It made me wonder if the hardness of the skin showed how long someone had been a ghoul. Ghouls fascinated me. I realized that while I was tending to his wound. Before coming out of the Vault, I had never imagined anything like that. I kind of liked their deep, rough voices and the colors of their eyes. They were sort of creamy shades of light, pale blues and greens. Also, I find it fascinating how a ghoul can live without half of their skin to hold their muscle together. And how do the veins function without the skin to protect them? They are very fragile from what I've read up on, and yet they can withstand as much pressure as someone with skin has. I learned that one from Gob. They were also healed by radiation and were much sturdier than the average human being. I wanted to study the ghouls, but I doubted than any one of them would let a, "Smoothskin," like me do any kind of experiment on them.

The ghoul, his arm now getting better faster than it would have without my help, walked at a faster pace than us and left Mei and I behind with our pip-boy lights to guide us through the dark, dank underground.

"Why did you help that ghoul?" Mei asked. "He probably would have been fine."

"I don't like seeing people that way," I stated. "What if the situation was reversed, Mei? What if either you or I were hurt and he was able to help? You'd want him to help. I know you would, even if the one harmed would have been fine."

She sighed, but dropped it.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

We made it out around noon-time, but there was no sign of the ghoul anywhere. I shrugged it off and carried on through the ruins of Downtown D.C. We had to find GNR by nightfall. Gob had told us about the Super Mutants, and those sounded like something I didn't want to meet. As we pressed on, we unfortunately did meet some of the freakish muties. They were huge, and pretty immune to my bullets, but quite a few well-places shots to the head tended to do the trick, if you could pierce the skull. I was nearly out of ammo by the time I had killed my first couple.

Soon, we met up with a couple of people in odd armor. I first thought they were another form of mutants, but I saw them attacking the Super Mutants with energy weapons and approached them.

"Stand back, civilian. This place is off limits," one stated.

"But we have to get to Galaxy News Radio," Kari stated.

The woman seemed to find us odd. "Are you crazy? This place is infested with Super Mutants!"

"I don't care," I replied. "I have to get there because that's where our dad went!"

She sighed. "Fine, you can tag along, but if you get killed, it's your own fault, and we won't stop for you. My name is Sarah Lyons, by the way."

I nodded and we followed her and her squad further into the ruins. I watched her take down the mutants with only two shots with her rifle. I wished I could be of more assistance so we could get there faster, but my ammo was nearly depleted. As we passed through the wall of a decayed building, I saw a few more grenades and mines sitting in a broken locker. I scooped them up and placed them in my bag. Leaning against the other side of the locker was a hunting rifle and tons of .32 ammo. My pip-boy read it to be in good condition, so I grabbed and loaded it after giving the pistol to Kari. She would need it more than me, now.

We had to run to catch back up with our current traveling acquaintances, and they said we were nearing the station. I could feel something in my gut, saying that something was wrong. I didn't know what, but everything seemed to be going too smoothly. I could tell that something was about to go awry.

When the studio came into view, I saw a dead body lying at what appeared to be a broken fountain. A gigantic gun lay on the ground next to him, but I ignored it and went up the stairs. As I did, the ground seemed to tremble beneath my feet. It took me a moment to realize that the ground really _was _shaking. The tremors were growing stronger and stronger with each one. Suddenly, they stopped. The truck on the ground to my left suddenly exploded in a mushroom cloud. One of the knights flew, blood spurting out in various places. Reddin, I think her name was. In front of us, a giant Super Mutant Behemoth stood, many guns and grenades attached to its back. We all stood still for a moment before it let out a battle cry.

Everyone began to shoot at it, but to no avail. It seemed immune to the bullets, even more so than the regular sized giants. It threw a couple more initiates into the air with its fist, not even bothering to attack with its weapons. We were losing numbers, and fast. It was then that I remembered the big gun by the fountain. Surely a gun that big could take out the giant monster. I ran for it, dodging the bullets that flew out from the agitated behemoth. With one scoop, I heaved the gun onto my shoulder and shot one at the Super Mutant. It hit the monster's torso and erupted with a giant mushroom cloud, green blood, gore, and other bits of behemoth flying everywhere. The kickback and the blast from the explosion knocked my backwards, and my Geiger counter was clicking at me.

Everyone stood up slowly, having been knocked down by the explosion. Most of the remaining knights were covered in the gore, and so was I. Kari seemed to have avoided the blast and remained mutant-gore free. Lyons approached me with a sad smile.

"You did it," she stated. "Thank you."

I nodded, storing the gun and mini nukes in my pip-boy. The weight would definitely slow me down, but the gun may come in handy someday.

"I'm sorry about Reddin," Kari said.

"So am I," Sarah replied. "But there was nothing any of us could do. You can go in now and see Three Dog. He'll be at the top of the building."

I gave a curt nod before heading into the building. Finally, I would be able to confront the person about my father. Hopefully, he was still there, or at least, he hadn't gone far. Knowing my father, he probably wouldn't have stayed, but I was ready to find him. Kari and I climbed up the stairs inside the building and went through a door. There were another set of stairs where I could hear the same kind of music from the saloon back in Megaton coming from the upstairs. I knew we were in the right place. A man walked out of a back room as I reached the top. He wore a red head-wrap and glasses.

"Well, I'll be," he said in his familiar voice. "The saints from one-oh-one."

"E-excuse me?"

"You're James's kids, aren't you? You look just like him. From what I hear, you didn't kill Silver, and you even helped out a ghoul in the underground. Not to mention that you killed the gigantic mutant outside," he stated. "My people are everywhere, reporting anything they see news-worthy to me. You are quite the saints, miss one-oh-ones."

"My name is Mei, not one-oh-one," I stated. I thought it was kind of weird that he knew about everything Kari and I had done so far. "And this is Hikari."

"We're looking for our father," Kari stated. "We were told he came here. Do you have any idea where he is?"

"He was here, but he's gone," the disk jockey responded.

"Well, did he say where he was going?" I asked.

"Well, you see, he's heading somewhere, but I require a favor in return for the information," he stated. "You see, I have a dish on top of the Washington Monument, but a Super Mutant thought it would be fun to shoot the big, shiny round thing on top of the tower. You can guess what that is. Anyway, I now require a new dish."

I hated when people did this. Why was it that whenever we needed something, people always wanted something else in return? Wasn't there such a thing as charity in the wastes?

"I hear that there is a new one in the Museum of Technology," he continued. "If you can get it and install it, I'll give you the information."

"Alright," Kari said. "We'll get it."

"Great. It's located not too far from here," he stated. "It's just southeast from here, about an hour or so away. If you had a map-"

"We've got one programmed into our pip-boys," I interrupted. "As long as you know the location of the place, you can set it to guide us there."

Alright," he said as Kari pulled hers up. "You want to go through a metro station located about here-" he made some gestures to her screen- "And then you want to take the route to the mall. After that, you'll end up about here. You then want to travel here. You can overcome the obstacles that stand in your way."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. _Sure _he believed in us. He believed we would die against the Super Mutants and other creatures that prowled the area. If we didn't, then he would make a great profit of more people listening to his radio and receiving the signal. Whoop-dee-doo.

"And if you come across any holotapes of pre-war music, I'll pay you plenty for them, so long as I don't have them," he added.

"Come on, Kari, let's get this over with," I said.

She glanced over at me and nodded.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

Mei didn't like Three Dog, and I could see why. He wanted something in return for the information, and I was okay with it. That's how things worked out here. You wanted something; it was going to cost you. I still carried faith with me, though. There had to be someone other than myself who did things for others without anything in return. I was determined to find someone like that. Sure, I wasn't perfect, but I still tried my hardest to remain on the, "Light," side of my mind. Evil things had crossed my mind, but I had shut them out, not having the heart to put them into action. I had wanted to shoot Moriarty back in the saloon for what he had done. He was well suited for the word that Silver had used to describe him, but I didn't have it in me to lob a bullet through his skull. Mei, on the other hand, could probably do it without a second thought or any regrets. All I would have to do was ask her and she would do it. Still, I wouldn't want that weighing on my conscious. I had a rather advanced sense of perception, and I could just tell that Mei was being changed out here. I would glance over and she would appear to be deep in thought. She would shrug it off, but I knew that it was bothering her, whatever it was.

We pressed on through another set of tunnels, most of which of were collapsed. Mei killed a few ferals before we picked up some more ammo from a crate sitting nearby. It was 10mm, so I pocketed it. It would come in handy if either Mei or I ran out. I'm not sure how long we trudged along before we came across a small group of Raiders. There were about 5 of them, but Mei disposed of them before I had a chance to help, but I kind of preferred it that way. I detested killing, and Mei relished it. She grew from it while I got sick from it.

Regardless, they had ammo and automatic guns, which Mei and I picked up to use, along with their armor to use over our jumpsuits. The jumpsuits and our weapons were in pretty rough shape, and we were in desperate need of new items. I let Mei do the honors of collecting said items off of the bodies. Just looking at them made me nauseated.

We plodded along for a while longer before we finally found the exit. Off in the distance, I could hear shouting and guns firing. There were three sets of shouting. One group was of Super Mutants. The second was of humanoid origin, and the last I recognized as that of a Brahmin.

"Sounds like someone is in trouble," I stated.

"So?" Mei asked.

I could feel the need to help those in trouble off in the distance. I could make out about five different weapons firing, but only two different human voices. That meant three mutants. I forgot everything as I ran off towards the sound, my weapon fully loaded and ready to go.

Upon arrival, there was one human, one ghoul, a Brahmin, and three mutants. Dad always did say that I had superior hearing. There were three dead mutants already, and the ghoul and human had already taken numerous hits. I began to fire my assault rifle at the mutants, aiming for the thick skull. After a few seconds of rapid fire, some of the bullets penetrated the skull. Mei soon joined in by my side, shooting her assault rifle as well. Unfortunately for us, there was no cover, and our gunfire seemed to attract more of the giant green mutants. We unconsciously grew closer to the caravaners, and them to us.

I felt a stinging pain rip through multiple spots in my torso, and Mei shouting my name. Everything began to fade away, but my gun kept firing. The noise faded into the background and became one with the black.

* * *

After Notes:

Chapter 3 complete! Hm... My chapters are getting longer and longer as I type them, except for the last one. That one's the shortest, but I tried to make it longer. Oh well. It'll be a while before I get around to uploading it.

Please let me know what you think of the story or if you spot any grammar or spelling issues through a PM or Review. Much appreciated, HikariMei.


	4. Chapter 4: Underworld Mayhem

Chapter 4: Underworld Mayhem

~Mei's POV~

I called after my little sister as she ran off to help whoever was fighting off in the distance, but she didn't seem to hear me. She was being stupid, running off into a battle that had nothing to do with her, but that was Kari. She never thought of herself and what harm may befall her. I hated her for it, but she was the only person I had left besides my dad and I couldn't lose her.

I tore after her. She had just taken down a mutant, but more were showing up, possibly attracted by the sound of the guns and the smell of blood. I was constantly firing my assault rifle, praying that we would make it through the battle. One of the mutants had a mini gun, and I cursed our luck. That one pointed the gun at the ghoul, but Kari, whether knowingly or unknowingly, had stepped in the path of the bullets.

I shouted at her, but it was too late. I watched in horror as the hail of bullets pierced through her armor, blood dripping and flowing from the wounds.

Two more ghouls joined in the fight, but I was quivering with shock, anger, frustration, agony, and a deep, depressing sadness.

I pulled out my fat-man from my pip-boy, deciding it would be now or never. They were a safe enough distance away that the blast shouldn't harm us.

I heaved the gigantic gun onto my shoulder and loaded a mini nuke in it. It flew across the trench and hit the ground beneath their feet. The trench caved in and was filled with Super Mutant goo. My pip-boy read that there were no other hostiles nearby, and so I rushed over to Kari's side.

She was breathing, but barely. Her skin was much, much paler than usual, and it was cold to the touch.

"Kari," I whimpered. "Kari, don't leave me. Don't die."

One of the ghouls walked over and slowly and gently picked up Kari. I was about to shout a very long string of profanities at him until I realized that he was trying to help. I then noticed the gauze around his arm. He was the one that Kari had helped earlier

"Quickly, we need to get inside before more show up," the female ghoul that had joined stated.

I nodded, praying to every kind of god that I could think of that she would be alright. I picked up her gun and stored it in my pip-boy for later. I didn't know where they were taking her, but I had no choice to follow. We entered what the signs said to be the Museum of History. It looked pretty abandoned, but I could hear plenty of movement behind the doors that were ahead of us.

We entered the room ahead, and it was filled with ghouls, but none of them were feral. They all appeared very civil and eyed us with curiosity. The large ghoul carrying Kari led us through another set of doors ahead and into what appeared to be a doctor's office. A ghoul in a blood-stained shirt walked up to us.

"She dead?" he asked in a dead tone.

The other ghoul shook his head. "She's alive."

"Looks pretty dead to me."

"Kari won't give up fighting," I said fiercely. "Never..."

"Whatever. You got caps?"

"I've got it covered, Barrows," the shorter ghoul that had been with us stated. "She took the bullets in my stead. It's the least that I can do."

"Set her down on the table," the doctor instructed before turning to me. "You may want to leave. This is probably going to get messy."

"I'm not leaving her," I stated. "Not until she takes her last breath."

"Well, that may be sooner than you believe," he replied, "but whatever."

He turned to my younger, sweeter sister and the nurse began to assist him in removing the bullets from the holes. I was honestly surprised that she was alive at that moment, but I knew she wouldn't give up. I watched as fresh blood poured from the newly opened holes. Again, I prayed that she would live.

As he began to sew up the holes, the nurse began to inject stimpaks and med-x into her. I was surprised to see the wounds slowly but surely closing up on their own. The doctor and nurse had curious expressions on their faces.

"Did you put something in that?" I questioned.

The nurse shook her head.

They merely observed as the wounds finished closing themselves up.

"What just happened, then?"

"No idea," the doc said. "I was hoping you could answer that."

"So is she going to be okay?"

"I believe so, but she needs blood, and fast."

"We're twins, and we have the same blood type," I stated. "Could you do a quick transfusion or whatever?"

"Yeah. Lie down next to her."

I did as I was told before he injected me with some sort of chemical that made everything all hazy. When he stuck a needle in my arm, I didn't feel any pain, kind of like med-x, only stronger. The only reason I was able to tell what he was doing was by watching him. I fought to stay awake, but watching the blood drain from my arm was kind of hypnotic and made me feel even more tired. I soon succumbed to sleep and everything faded away.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

My eyes slowly opened, the rays of light filtering rather harshly through my vision. It hurt, so I squinted. I could make out the form of someone next to me, and there was a person on a terminal in the corner of the room. I remembered fighting a horde of Super Mutants, but that was it. Everything after that was a blank.

I sat up, and a slight burning sensation filled my body. I hissed, which seemed to attract the person in the corner. She was a ghoul.

"The doctor has stepped out for a moment, but he has instructed me not to let you or your sister out of bed," she stated. "Please lie back down."

"But what happened?" I questioned.

"Well, Charon carried you in here, and you were so close to death. I've never seen a paler person other than you. Anyway, I was told that you tried to rescue our caravan and were shot by a mutant with a mini-gun," she replied. "But you were fighting to stay alive. You probably wouldn't have made it if you hadn't had a transfusion from your sister. She donated the blood that now runs through you."

I nodded slowly. That was kind of foolish of me, running into battle like that. I hadn't given a second thought about what may have happened to me. At the time, I didn't care.

"You saved Quinn, though. Unfortunately, the Brahmin and Jacob didn't make it," she said with a sigh. "None of this would have happened if Quinn hadn't hired a human caravan guard. He was warned that the mutants would attack, but he was convinced that the bandits were more of a bother."

"Who is Quinn?" I asked. "And Jacob? And... And Charon?"

"You... You don't know who they are?"

"No," I whispered.

"You... saved them, risked your life for them, and you don't know who they are?"

I shook my head, and she seemed stunned. Sure, I had risked my life for strangers because they needed my help. So what?

"You really are something," she said.

"I've got some caps to pay for whatever my fees are," I stated. "It's not much, but-"

"Quinn's already taken care of it," she said, cutting me off. "He says it's a thank-you for earlier."

"Well, if you see him, please tell him thanks," I requested. "But how long was I out?"

"About a day. You seem to have some sort of... Development that allowed you to heal right before our eyes. Your wounds literally closed up before our eyes. It was quite unusual, but fascinating."

I was puzzled and wracked my brain for answers, but could come up with none. A moment later, a ghoul with a blood-stained shirt and another ghoul with some sort of merchant outfit and rifle attached to his back entered the room. The one with the blood-stained shirt was definitely a doctor, and I guessed the other one was either Quinn or Charon.

"You're awake," the doctor stated. "I am not surprised. At the rate you were healing, I could tell that you would be waking up soon."

"What about Mei?" I asked. "Will she be alright?"

"Yes, she's just knocked out from the chemicals I had to give her when she the transfusion. She should be waking up momentarily."

"That's good," I whispered.

"Anyway, Quinn here just wanted to see if you were awake to thank you," he stated. "Go ahead, Quinn."

He approached me rather slowly, as if he was frightened of me. I stood up from the bed and held out my hand. He shook it kind of hesitantly.

"I'm Hikari," I said. "If you are here to thank me, thanks are not necessary, but you are welcome. I only did what felt right. I couldn't just leave you all there, but I am sorry about Jacob and the Brahmin."

"You jumped into the fray, not even knowing us, and me a ghoul. You got shot multiple times," he stated. "May I ask how you are still standing?"

"That's still a mystery to me," I replied. "I thank the lord that I am still here."

"So do I, but that is thanks to you," he responded. "I thank you for that."

"Like I said, think nothing of it."

He nodded. "If your sister hadn't used a mini-nuke on the mutants, we wouldn't have been able to fight them off. I have her to thank, too. If she hasn't woken up by the time I leave Underworld, will you express my gratitude to her?"

"Yes, I will."

He nodded again. "I must be on my way. Because of my mistakes, Underworld may suffer."

"We're in Underworld?" I questioned.

"Yes."

"Huh," I said curiously. "There wouldn't happen to be a Carol here, would there?"

"Yes, there is. She runs Carol's Place on the upper floor," he stated. "Why?"

"I ran into a ghoul back in Megaton, and he asked me to tell Carol that he says hi and that he's doing well."

"Gob?" he questioned.

"Yeah."

"Wow, haven't seen him in a while. Carol has been moping around since he left, and we all believed him to be dead."

"He's working in a bar, but he's pretty much a slave," I said.

"I'd keep that bit away from Carol," he warned.

"I think I know why," I replied.

"Well, I need to get going."

I nodded, and he turned to leave.

"Well, doc, am I good to go?" I asked.

"I would advise that you stay for observation to make sure that you are all right," he stated. "But other than that, yes. Quinn had already paid me for the medical costs and I have no power over your choices."

"I'll be back," I said. "If Mei wakes up, please either tell her that I'm walking around the Underworld or send someone for me."

He nodded and turned to talk to nurse graves. I took that as my cue to leave.

I wandered up the stairs and into Carol's place, receiving quite a few stares from the residents. I went to talk to the person behind the bar.

When I reentered the Chop Shop, Mei was nowhere in sight.

"Went to the Ninth Circle," the nurse said from her computer. "Said she wanted a drink. We advised against it, but she ignored us. It's up across from Carol's place."

"Thanks," I muttered before heading out and up.

I found it easy enough. The bar itself was nothing like Carol's place. It was thick with smoke and the acrid smell burnt my nose. I spotted my sister sitting by the bar, already swaying under the influence of alcohol. Back in the Vault, Mei had somehow been able to break into the overseer's private stores and steal some of the alcohol. She wasn't the best drunk, always saying and doing things she shouldn't do, or wouldn't ordinarily do. She had often tried to get me to drink, but I resisted. I was worried about how many caps she spent, though. We were running low, and we still had to stock up on supplies.

"Come on, Mei," I said rather firmly. "We need to go back."

"C'mon, Kari! Loosen up, 'n' haveuhlil fun," she slurred.

"No, Mei. We're almost out of caps, and we still need to stock up for our trip."

"Buuuut... I dun wanna. People're nice tuh me here. All-hic-all cause I saved...saved one of 'em."

"How much does she owe?" I questioned the ghoul behind the counter.

"52 caps."

I counted out the caps and handed them to him.

"Now come on, Mei," I ordered. "We have to go tomorrow morning, and things are going to be hard enough."

"No!" she shouted, and tried to brush off my hand, but missed and swayed.

I sighed. There was no reasoning with her. She was stubborn and drunk, and there wasn't a thing I could do about it. I was honestly surprised she hadn't lost the contents of her stomach yet, but glad. If one of us did, so did the other. It killed our dad back in the Vault.

I thought for a moment, but could come up with nothing to coax her out of the bar... Unless...

I could see them... All of the raiders I had killed, all of the people that had died by the hands of those merciless monsters... All of the blood that flowed out of them... All of the pain and sorrow that the once beautiful lands leaked... All of the people dying of thirst or starvation... All of the gore in the room where Mei, the ghoul, and I had killed all of those Raiders... The sick, twisting, churning sensation that I received as the bile rose in my mouth with those sights. All of those feelings that I had suppressed... The resentment and hostility I felt towards the Overseer, the sorrow I felt when I knew I was unable to help someone that had been brutally tortured to death... The fright that had been haunting me every night that I refused to succumb to... Everything that had happened since my father had left...

In a second, I was bent over the trash can, emptying my stomach of everything that I had recently eaten. Unfortunately, Mei hadn't been able to make it to the trash can, and it poured over the entire counter. The barkeeper growled and jumped back. I pulled out a bottle of water and drank it in an instant before pulling another one out for Mei. She had refused at first, but she seemed to slowly come back around.

"Out!" the barkeeper shouted. "Now! Charon!"

A ghoul that I hadn't noticed slipped out from the shadows of the corner behind me.

"Yes, Ahzrukhal?" he asked.

I knew that voice... It had called me an idiot before. It had a mocking edge that was just barely traceable. I looked over at the ghouls arm and saw slightly bloodstained gauze wrapped around it.

"I-it's you," I whispered. "The ghoul from the station."

He glared down at me, but said nothing.

"Charon, throw them out," Az instructed.

"Yes, sir."

Without another word, the ghoul lifted us off the ground with ease, but I saw the bandaged arm tremble slightly.

"Your wound will not heal unless you stop putting stress on it," I stated. "I'm capable of walking, too."

He ignored me and carried us over to the exit where he promptly threw us out. Quite literally, I should add. We tumbled and landed in a tangle on the floor, only stopped by the crumbling stone safety rails. I rarely got mad, but this was one of those times. There was a reason that people never tried to anger me back in the Vault, too, unless they were stupid, like Butch and his gang. When I was mad, I was furious. I could feel it rising up as I stood up. Sure, Mei had thrown up on his counter, and I could see why he was mad, but he didn't have to have us thrown out. I had helped the bouncer, Charon, and yet he ignored me completely and obeyed orders like some sort of dog. If Mei weren't so drunk, she'd probably be back in there in a heartbeat, guns blazing. I was more diplomatic, but he was about to get an earful.

I marched back in there. I walked straight up to the bar and stared Ahzrukhal straight in his rotting eyes, fury coursing through me.

"Ooh, she's pissed," Mei whispered to the ghoul next to her.

"You rotting bastard!" I shouted. "Why the hell did you have me thrown out of this goddamned shithole of a bar? I have half a mind to have your head blown clean off your shoulders. Trust me, I have killed Super Mutants, Raiders, and far worse, so don't think I won't do it! If it weren't for me, all of you zombies would be DEAD soon! To think that I even gave a shit about you all. It's people like you that infuriate me!"

My hand shot up and a loud slapping noise echoed throughout the bar. Everything was quiet, except for the music that played from a radio sitting on the counter until the nose of a shotgun pressed to the back of my head. I heard it cock and tried to hold still, but I was still shaking from anger.

"Who the hell do you think you are, pressing that on me when my back is turned?" I demanded in a quiet, un-intimidated voice.

"The fucking guy that protects the guy you just slapped," growled Charon. "I think it's time you and the other smoothskin left."

I knew that I should just leave, but something else kicked in, and I think I snapped. My hand was up in an instant, and I wrestled the shotgun away from the shocked ghoul within seconds. I held it up towards him, and everyone held still, waiting to see what my next move would be.

Everything was dead silent, and even the radio was turned off.

"Go Kari!" Mei suddenly shouted.

"I fucking helped you, and you try to blow my fucking head off? I don't think so. That's not how things work!"

"We are not in whatever fantasy you've created," he spat.

Suddenly, the door behind Charon burst open, revealing the doctor. I jumped, and the shotgun went off into the air. I was knocked down by the kickback, and Charon took the opportunity to retrieve his gun. He pointed it at me as I lay on the ground.

"Up," he said with a small motion of his gun.

"Charon, wait," Barrows said. "She's suffering from the after effects of the medication that we had to give her. She's not in her right mind."

He walked over to me and helped me up. I wanted to push him away, but it had been him that saved me.

"Come on now," he said. "I don't want to do things the hard way, so just... follow me back down to my office."

I was still shaking, but it was more from adrenaline than anything else, now. I complied, and everyone seemed to go back to whatever it was that they were doing earlier. As soon as we were out of the Ninth Circle, I felt something sharp pierce my side, and my body went limp, and my vision darkened.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I still felt the slight buzz of the alcohol rush through my system even though I had already puked most of it up. I wish I hadn't have gotten drunk, but I do a lot of things that I regret. Still, it was kind of funny to see Kari get all mad. That's something I haven't seen since before we left the Vault. The first time, she was provoked to the point of insanity by Butch before she snapped, breaking his jaw at our tenth birthday party. The second time was about a year after the G.O.A.T. when Butch again provoked her until she landed a kick on his shin, actually putting a crack in it. Both times made my day. I kept telling her not to bottle her emotions until the point of insanity, but it was still funny to watch her break. She broke away from her nice streak and her morals and let loose the fury within. Honestly, if we could bottle the fury and give it to an army, we'd have quite the object of mass destruction.

The look on everyone's face when sweet, innocent Vaultie went off on Charon and Ahzrukhal was priceless. I wish I had a pre-war camera to capture it. I knew that what she did was dangerous, but I knew she wouldn't let herself get hurt. I wouldn't let them, even if I was intoxicated. No being alive, be it ghoul, human, or other kind of mutant, was going to hurt my baby sister. She was the only person I really had left in the world, and she wasn't going to be taken away.

Still, I felt kind of bad because of what my drinking caused. Kari was still down at the Chop Shop. Someone had notified Barrows of her outburst, and he immediately went up to claim something medicine-related that only he would realize was fake. Kari, of course, knew, but she played along. At least, I think she did. It was kind of hard to tell when she was insane. I would somehow make this up to her.

I watched an unconscious Kari breath evenly in and out... In and out... It was kind of hypnotic, just watching that simple, steady rhythm. I was torn out of it by a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off, but looked up and behind me. It was Barrows, but he was upside down. Wait, my head was backwards. I was upside down. Maybe I should stop drinking altogether.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Kari got mad at that Az guy, 'cause he had his manservant throw us out, quite literally. It was kind of funny watching her go off," I stated. "She has quite the temper, as you kinda saw, so I always try to avoid making her mad. She broke a guy's jaw and cracked his shin once when we were ten and seventeen. It was pretty funny, because neither of us liked-"

"Nice story, kid, but I'm not interested," he interrupted. "She'll wake up soon, and I think you would be best to calm her down if she's still angry."

"Whatever."

He then walked over to the glass to observe some feral was glowing, but we had never come across a glowing one before. I wanted to question him about them, but my sis started to wake up.

"Heey. Look who has decided to join the living," I said as she sat up.

"What happened?" she questioned.

"Eh. Lost your temper again," I replied. "Got knocked out by doc here when he arrived and now you're here. The end."

"What?" she asked again.

"That Charon ghoul-guy threw us out of the bar. You lost your temper, attacked the barkeep, Charon attacked you, you attacked back, he attacked again, doc came in, and stopped you. We're here. The end."

"O-oh," was all she managed to say. "So that wasn't a dream. I had hoped it was."

"Naw. It was pretty funny, though."

"Mei, there's nothing funny about what I did!" she half-shouted. "I could have seriously hurt someone, or I could have caused other kinds of damages!"

I shrugged. Whatever.

"Anyways, we need to get going soon. After we stock up on ammo and other necessities, we should head out. How much do I owe you for that, doc?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. Just hurry on out. I have a feeling some people are going to be pretty mad at me."

"I'm sorry," she said.

He seemed a bit shocked. "You're apologizing?"

"Yes, because it's my fault."

He shook his head with a smile. "Should've known better. You're alright, kid. Now beat it."

She smiled and nodded. Maybe things wouldn't be as bad as they were looking out here in the wastes. I would have to make things up with Kari, and I had an idea of how. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't soft. No, far from that. I loved her, and it was partially my fault that this had happened. I would have to make it right with her.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

As Mei and I headed to bed for the night at Carol's Place, she seemed to be acting odd. She was in thought again, and to be honest, that was never really good. It meant that she was up to something. At least, that's what it meant back in the Vault. Out in the wastes, it could mean anything. I lay down in the bed and ignored it, trying to get some non-medicated rest. We would leave the following morning.

I had split all of our supplies up evenly before we had shopped, and we had spent our caps on only what we needed, though Mei claimed that she needed the box of gumdrops and bubblegum. We had everything ready for the trip tomorrow.

When I woke up the following morning, Mei was nowhere to be seen. I began to panic, wondering if she had run off, or if she was kidnapped. I threw the blankets off and rushed out in my vault-tec jumpsuit that I had slept in. I ran to the counter and asked Carol if she had seen my twin.

"Why, yes," Carol said in a sweet voice. "Said she had some last minute errand to run before you two headed out. Didn't say where she was going, though."

That was when it sounded. Two blasts from a shotgun, and the only shotgun I had seen in the Underworld had belonged to Charon. The only thing that coursed through my mind was that she had tried to take on either Charon or Ahzrukhal and had been shot. I ran to the Ninth Circle. When I opened the door, there was blood pooling out from behind the counter. The onlookers gasped at the sight, muttering to themselves, but I didn't pay attention to what they were saying. I ran forward, praying that it wasn't my sister. I stood there, shocked, when I saw that it was Ahzrukhal. His head had been blown clean off his shoulders, but not by me. Neither Mei nor Charon were anywhere in sight. I suppressed the urge to throw up and left the Ninth Circle to look for Mei.

I went back to Carol's Place. The ghoul owner inquired what had happened.

"Someone shot and killed Az," I stated. "Head... clean off his shoulders..."

I ran to the trash can next to the counter and threw up bile. I heard someone else do the same on the other side of the room. It probably would have been better for me to just wait in Carol's Place for her to return. I had to admit, though. I was really confused as to why Charon followed her around. I shot her a quizzical look as I drank half of a water bottle.

"Got his contract off of old Az," she said with a smirk. "Turns out, Charon hated the bastard as much as we do. Blew his head off without me even having to tell him to."

She pulled a yellowing piece of parchment out from her bag and handed it to me. I read it over. Just the basics were on it:

**Name: Charon  
Height: 6'7  
Weight: 202 lbs**

**Charon is completely loyal to whoever holds this contract. He will follow any combat order that he is given, even when facing death. His ultimate purpose is to protect him employer, no matter what. He does not need any payment. Any physical violence on the employer's behalf will nullify the contract.**

It was pretty straightforward, but the text was fading, and I could barely make out the words. I wondered how Mei had gotten a hold of it. I went to give it back to her, but she shook her head.

"I have a feeling that you will make a much better employer than me," she stated. "Besides, I don't know if he even likes me."

"Don't think he likes me, either, do you, Charon?"

He stared at me blankly.

"Hmm. This seems like slavery to me," I stated. "It's as though he has no free will, and I don't know if I'd be okay with that."

"It's not slavery. See any collars?" Mei pointed out.

"No, but it's the principle of the matter," I replied.

I didn't like the idea of being in charge of someone like that. I felt as though he really was a slave, and in a sense, he was. He would do whatever I told him to without question. That kind of power frightened me.

"Charon, I want you to speak freely. Do whatever you want, but don't kill anyone unless they pose a direct threat," I instructed. "And nothing is an order without the words, 'I order,' followed by a command, got it?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"No mistress. Just Hikari," I said. "Will you accompany us to the Museum of Technology?"

"If that is what you wish."

"It is, but what do you want?" I asked.

"Whatever my employer wants."

I sighed. Whatever. I told him that it was up to him what he wanted, so if he came, fine. If not, fine. He would be very useful, though.

"I suggest we leave now," Mei stated.

I nodded. "I'd like to be back to GNR Studio by the end of the day."

"A practical goal," Charon whispered, as though he was unsure if he should speak.

"Well, let's get a move on," Mei said as she led the way out.

* * *

After Notes:

Ahh, yes. Charon. My favorite follower in the game. How I love him. :)

I liked writing Hikari all wild and stuff. It was different, and I can't really remember if I do it again because it's literally midnight right now.

Well, please drop me a review or PM. Much appreciated, HikariMei.


	5. Chapter 5: Three's a Crowd

Quick Note: Chapter contains mentions of a sensitive topic. I've had people complain on other websites about different stories where I didn't put a warning, and they got all mad at me.

Then again, if you have any grudge against what I'm about to discuss, why are you even reading this story?

* * *

Chapter 5: Three's a Crowd

~Mei's POV~

I dunno what possessed me to steal Charon's contract. I had asked about the guy when I was drunk, and old Az had been willing enough to share the information with a drunk. I remembered that he said he had it locked up in a special safe underneath his bed. I was pretty good at picking locks, something that I had picked up back in the Vault, so it was pretty easy to break in to it once everyone was asleep. Either Charon didn't notice me, or he pretended not to. Once the contract was in my hand, I had read it over and confidently walked up to Charon. He eyed it before waking up old Az. He tried to hide when he realized what was about to happen, but it was inevitable.

This probably wasn't my best idea, but Kari was the smart one, not me. Charon was still easily the best shot of us three, and I was surprised that Kari was able to take his gun away yesterday. Probably he was surprised that she had the nerve to stand up to him while completely sober. It probably did a number on his pride after that happened.

We soon found the Museum of Technology. It was infested with Super Mutants and, to my disappointment, turrets. Hikari had found a couple terminals and hacked into them. She discovered that she could turn the turrets off and save us the ammo if she was able to access them before we came across them. Charon and I took out the Super Mutants, as Kari was more in the way than a help with them. When we had the opportunity, maybe Charon could teach her how to shoot better.

When we entered a room, the ancient pre-war exhibit activated. I jumped, and Charon shot at it, but it kept going. Charon muttered something about it attracting Super Mutants. We continued down the hallways, and I could see that a wave of nostalgia flowed over Kari as we watched the Vault exhibit, though I ignored it. I was glad to be out of there.

After fighting our way through some more mutants, we found a door, but it was locked. No problemo for Super Mei.

"Cover me," I said as I took a bobby pin from my hair and my screw driver from of my pip-boy.

I could hear gunfire as I worked on the lock, and Kari let out a frightened squeak as she began to shoot her gun. It wasn't until Kari actually screamed until I turned around. Charon had slumped to the ground in front of Kari, a few bullets through his leg and left shoulder. I dropped what I was doing and finished the other mutie off before he could reload.

"Charon, I'm so sorry," Kari whispered as she pulled out her first-aid kit.

She began to make quick work of removing the bullets after she shot him with two rounds of med-x. She stitched the gushing holes up as fast as she could. I was amazed by her speed and precision. I guess working alongside dad kind of did that to her. I was also surprised that she didn't flinch as she worked. Every time she had seen blood, she turned paler and shook slightly, but I don't think she ever really noticed. She shot him up with a few stimpaks before he was able to walk on his feet again.

"That should hold up until we get the satellite and back to Underworld, but I want Doc Barrows to take a look at it and fix it up," she stated. "If you need, we can stop so you can sit in some irradiated water once we leave."

He nodded, and I wondered where Kari had received her knowledge of ghouls. She knows all of this stuff that I don't, and I was jealous.

We had soon found the stupid satellite for Three Dog, along with some pre-war holotapes. Kari stored them in her pip-boy, and I took the satellite. You wanna know the only thing that smells worse that a Super Mutant? A dead and rotting one with missing body parts, that's what. I covered my nose as we left, but Kari had a bad time ignoring the smell. Her face turned pale again, and then slightly greenish. I prayed that she would be able to keep herself together, for both of our sakes. I felt slightly proud of her when we made it out, everything still in our stomachs. We began to head back to Underworld, but only after Kari told Charon to sit and soak in an irradiated puddle.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

While Mei tried to pick the lock, Charon and I watched for Super Mutants. I was pleasantly surprised at how good Charon's aim was, and his gun was more powerful than any other I had seen in my short time in the wastes. Well, besides the Fat Man, I guess.

I jumped in surprise when two Super Mutants attacked us. Charon quickly took out one of them, but there was no cover. I saw the bullets fly towards me. I closed my eyes to prepare for impact, but none came. I opened my eyes and saw Charon fall to the ground in front of me. I was shocked. Charon had just shielded me using his own body and seemingly no care for himself. The only people that I knew who would do that would be Mei and Dad. I guess I didn't realize how much of a hold his contract had over him. I screamed, and that was when Mei turned around and disposed of the second one while he reloaded.

I bent down to try to save Charon. I had seen my dad fix up a cut that I guessed to be a foot long when one of the Tunnel Snakes thought it would be funny to sneak up and scare Old Lady Palmer. That didn't end to well. I had helped him restrain Wally, who was freaking out. I had also fixed a few minor ones that needed stitches when both my dad and Jonas were gone.

I pulled the bullets out of Charon, whose breathing was slowing down. That caused me to go faster. When that was done, I sewed them up.

Once we got everything we needed, we headed out. I spotted a puddle in a hole nearby. I guessed it to be about three feet deep.

"Charon, please sit in the puddle to heal," I requested. "It'll make you better faster."

"Yes, Hikari."

I didn't really like how formal he was being, but I had given him free speech. It was up to him to use it, and, I think, it was only a matter of time before he took advantage of the freedom I had given him.

After resting for a day in Underworld, we headed to the old, decaying Washington Monument. I was kind of excited for the trip.

"I read about the Washington Monument in one of those pre-war books back in the vault, and it apparently was a monument to the first president, George Washington," I stated. "Its construction had begun in 1848, and it was open to the public in 1888. 40 years exactly. How they managed to build it back then is a mystery to me, but it's amazing. It towers over the Wasteland and withstood the bombs that had dropped not too far from it. While everything else around it remains almost completely uninhabitable, it's still standing, tall and proud. Like I said, pretty amazing. It's approximately 555 and a half feet tall and composed of marble. On the very top, it's believed to say, 'Laus Deo' on the top, which means, 'Praise be to God,' in Latin. It's probably worn-"

"Kari, zip it," Mei interrupted.

"Sorry," I muttered. I had a habit of regurgitating all of the facts that I had read when I got excited. I think someone back in the Vault called it, "Word Vomit."

There were Brotherhood knights guarding the monument. They had a terminal hooked up to the gate that barred us out of it, but they opened the gate from the terminal after we explained our purpose. They didn't trust Charon, though, and told us that only one of us could go up.

"You go," Mei stated. "You're better with computers and you seem so excited about it."

"But I hate heights!" I exclaimed. "You do it!"

"Come on, Kari. You can do it."

I felt the blood drain from my face.

"B-but-"

"Mist- Hikari, I believe that you would regret not being able to go to the top, from the sounds of things," Charon interjected.

"Yeah, but not as much as I'll be frightened," I said.

He gave me a glace that I read to say, "You'll regret it."

I sighed and took the dish from Mei. Gosh, she was strong. That thing weighed too much. I managed to get inside the building, shaking not only from the strain, but from fright. I had acrophobia, which I had discovered back in Megaton when climbing up those scrap metal walkways, and the crumbling building was no better.

There were no stairs in sight, so I entered the old elevator that appeared to be in working order. I pressed the button to go to the top, and the doors shut in front of me. The elevator screeched and groaned into life. I leaned against the side and hoped that nothing would give way, causing me to plummet back to earth. I sighed in relief when the elevator dinged and opened back up. I cautiously stepped out. I saw in the corner across the room my reason for going up there. The old satellite dish was shot with many holes on the old machine. I unhooked it, but the weight made me drop it. It fell all the way down to the ground and shattered into a million pieces. I stared at it for a while, hoping that it wouldn't be me that fell next.

I swallowed hard and took the new, heavier dish out of my pip-boy. I held it in my shaking hands before leaning out of the window to place it in the old hook. I tried to hook it, but I was shaking it.

"Mei, I can't do this!" I shouted.

I could barely see her, Charon, and two other knights by the gate.

"Yes, you can!" Mei shouted. "We believe you can!"

"No, it's too heavy! I can't fit it into the slot, and I'm shaking too bad!"

"Kari, remember what this is for! You can do it!"

She was right. I had to do this, for Dad. We had to find him, and Three-Dog was the one with the information we needed. I steeled myself before reaching out farther. The satellite still wouldn't reach. I reached out farther and farther until it hooked, but I was out too far and lost my balance. I fell forward, tumbling out the window. I think I screamed, but I don't really remember, as I blacked out.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I saw Kari lose her balance as she placed the dish on. She let out a shout, and all I could do was stare in shock as she plummeted towards the pavement below. I ran forward, but I knew I wasn't fast enough. All I knew at the time was that I had to somehow get to my sister before she hit the ground. She was the only one that really loved me out in the wastes. She was too close to the ground for me to catch and I prayed that she would somehow be okay.

That was when I saw her fall right into Charon's arms. He dipped slightly; I think it had something to do with stopping momentum. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was slightly agape. I wasn't even aware that he had run ahead of me, but I was glad he did.

"I-is she okay?" I questioned.

He didn't pay attention to me and set her on the ground. He placed the side of his head where his ear should have been on her chest, then sighed and nodded. Good. She would be okay. She worried me.

"We should make camp until she wakes," Charon stated in a gravelly voice.

All I could manage was a nod. He led us into a nearby underground tunnel and switched Kari into one arm, pulling out his shotgun with the other. He killed the radroaches and ferals before I had the chance to. We stopped after we were a ways into the tunnel and he set Kari on the ground. I sat next to her, waiting for her to wake up.

"I'm going to find things to make a fire. Don't let anything harm her," Charon said.

I nodded, unable to think of something to say. I was running low on ammo, but I knew Kari had plenty and wouldn't object if I borrowed some if needed. I shot a few radroaches before I reloaded with my penultimate magazine. I hoped Charon would be back soon.

"Mei?" I heard Kari call in the darkness.

"Kari? Kari, I'm right here," I replied.

"Mei, where am I?"

"We're underground," I stated. "Charon has gone off to find some things to make fire."

"O-okay," she said in a soft voice, which echoed off of the walls.

Not quite soon enough for me, Charon returned with a pile of old wood. He placed it next to Kari, but far enough away that she would not be harmed by it. He knelt by it and took two weird items from his pouch on his pants. He banged them together, causing sparks to fly off of them. The wood caught fire almost instantaneously. The small tunnel was illuminated and I saw just how scared Kari was. Apparently, she had a fear of the dark as well as heights, because she relaxed slightly when the light appeared.

"Flint and steel," Kari said. "I'm surprised that it survived the war."

Charon nodded. "I've had them since before the war."

"You're that old?" I questioned.

He shot me what I think was a glare, but then again, he might just look that way. Whatever. He turned his attention to one of the radroaches that had been shot and he began to pull off its shell thing. Kari would probably know the right term. He then gutted it, stuck the edible pieces over the fire, and held them there for some time. I guess he didn't know that we had real food. Whatever. If he wanted to do that, then let him. It saved us food.

When the meat was cooked, he handed a piece to each of us, but Kari claimed that she wasn't hungry. She was probably too sick to her stomach and scared to eat.

"Please, Hikari, you must eat something. We need you healthy for tomorrow."

She shook her head.

"Kari, if you wanna make it back to Three Dog to get the information, you need something in your stomach-" she opened her mouth as she was about to say something- "And don't say that you aren't hungry because I know you too well. The last time we ate was right when we arrived back at Underworld yesterday. Eat."

She frowned, but took the portion from Charon. She nibbled on it before I began to eat mine and Charon his. I had never had radroach before, but it tasted rubbery and bland and a lot like old feet. Dad had tried to make some after our tenth birthday, but he muttered something about still tasting too bad and threw it away, telling us that he wouldn't feed us anything he wouldn't eat. Well, times had definitely changed since then. I could see why he wouldn't let us try any then.

We ended up spending the night in the tunnel before Charon woke us up the following morning. I didn't really like him, but I didn't like people in general. Still, he had saved Kari twice, so that made him okay in my book.

In the morning, we headed over to the metro tunnel that took us back to GNR. Everything in there was dead, but Charon was on constant alert. He killed a single radroach by the time that we had made it out of the tunnel. By the time we reached GNR, there had been no other attacks or threats of any kind.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

We finally made it to GNR. I was excited to find out where our dad had headed next, but I was kind of nervous, too. We also had some holotapes of music that I had already recorded in my pip-boy to trade for caps. We climbed to the top before coming across the disc jockey. Charon, to my displeasure, received many looks of distrust and loathing from the knights. Were ghouls really that disliked by people?

"Well, well," Three Dog said. "Welcome back. I've been receiving more and more listeners, according to my charts. I take it that you guys got the new dish installed. You guys want the information now?"

I nodded.

"Well, he said he was heading to Rivet City to meet up with Dr. Li. He needed to know if it was still around, so he stopped in to check in with me. Nice man, he is. I hope you two turn out just like him."

"Thank you," I said. "And we have a few holotapes."

"Great, great," he said. "Let's see them."

I pulled them out of my pip-boy and handed them to him.

"Wonderful! I'll give you... Five hundred for all of them."

"Done," Mei said.

Three Dog went to the back and came back with a sack of caps and a smile across his face. Mei grabbed them and stored them in her pip-boy.

"There are only four hundred in there," she said as she stared at her screen.

"Well, your device must be mistaken," he said.

"These devices are probably the most advanced pieces of technology out here in the wastes," Mei stated. "And we had a deal. 100 more or I blow your head off."

He glared and frowned, but went into the back room with another sack full. She put them in and nodded. There was no cheating Mei out of anything, but I noticed that she was becoming more violent with each passing day.

"Good day," Mei said before we headed out. "Well, to Rivet City next?"

"I'd actually like to go see Gob and deliver a message from Carol to him," I said. "We can head to Rivet City after."

She sighed, but agreed.

"Are you going to join us, Charon?" I asked.

"If that is what you wish."

"Charon, I want to know what you want," I said.

"I want whatever my master or mistress wants."

I sighed, but wasn't about to fight him over it. Let him be.

"If any time you wish to leave, just let me know and you'll be free to go."

"I do not wish that."

"Very well."

Mei had already started to head over to the other metro station and Charon and I quickly caught up before heading in. As we passed through the room that the three of us had killed all of the Raiders in, I fought the urge to vomit. Even after having been exposed to that kind of stuff before, I still hadn't gotten over it. I felt as though I was about to pass out. I could feel my knees give out from under me, but a strong pair of arms caught me and lifted me back up. I muttered a word of thanks, but Charon kept walking, me in his arms.

"You can put me down, now," I said.

"You are slowing us down," he said in a monotone voice. "It would be in our best interest to travel like this for a while. We will arrive faster."

True, I wasn't the most in-shape person, but I didn't need to be carried. Things went by us faster, and my pip-boy said we would arrive to Megaton in a few hours. I hoped that Charon would put me down, soon. I felt as though I was a useless and helpless little girl; just a hindrance in their path.

After an hour or so, we exited into the sun. It was beginning to fade, but there was enough light out for a couple more hours. It was then that Charon put me down and pulled out his gun. I pulled out mine and crouched down like Mei and Charon had done. They began to fire and I went up and activated V.A.T.S. Time slowed as the green flowed over my vision.

I looked at our targets. Five Raiders and two dogs. Mei was working on one of the dogs and Charon had almost taken out a Raider. I focused on the other dog, figuring that it would be better to take it out quickly. I shot in slow motion, the blood flying everywhere as the bullets sprayed through its head. It slumped to the ground, and I ducked back down on the stairs, using them for cover. I poked my head and gun up, shooting a Raider in the leg, causing him to fall over. Charon finished him off with a shot to the head. I finished my magazine off on the fourth Raider, and Charon blew apart the final Raider.

I had received no injuries, but my companions were not as lucky. Mei had run out of ammo and taken a couple hits to the shoulder. She shot herself up with some med-x as I tended to the wound. Charon had gone a short ways away to heal himself in a puddle.

When we were ready, we set off towards Megaton. I couldn't help but smile as the giant scrap-metal town came into view. I began to run towards it since my pip-boy indicated no threats nearby. I could hear Mei and Charon run behind me.

We approached the gate as the sun was just a sliver on the horizon. I was excited to be able to sleep in an actual bed, even if there were no blankets. The only thing they had were sheets, and that only does so much.

Lucas Simms gave us a funny look as we entered the town and approached us.

"The ghoul is with you two?" he questioned.

"Yes," I said. "He is completely harmless unless someone poses a threat to any of us. He's like a mercenary."

"Very well, but the other residents probably won't take too kindly to another one of his kind being here," he replied. "And I can't stop people from being prejudiced."

I nodded. If anyone tried to harm Charon, I had a feeling that they would walk away with a missing limb. I could tell that Mei was thinking the same way, but she smirked.

Gob greeted us with a smile, but then noticed Charon and frowned.

"Welcome back kid," he greeted, never taking his eyes off Charon. "It's good to see you in one piece."

"What's wrong, Gob?" I questioned.

"Him," he replied, still eyeing Charon. "You got his contract?"

"Yes, I do," I stated.

"Least he won't harm you," Gob said with a sigh before looking at me. "You're still as pale as usual. No burn, tan, or anything. You been inside this whole time?"

"Pretty close to it," I said. "I spent a lot of time in Underworld or underground in the metro stations. By the way, I talked with Carol."

His face lit up and he cracked a smile. I forgot just how much I had missed Gob.

"What did she say?" he asked.

"She said that she loves and misses you, but it's much too dangerous for you to leave here, what with all of the Raiders and Slavers."

"That's great," he muttered. "Anything else?"

"No, that's it. She was really happy to hear from you, though. She's very kind and sweet."

"Well, thank you," he replied. "I just wish I had something more to give you."

"I don't need anything other than a long rest in a bed. Where's Nova?"

"She's upstairs with a client," he sighed. "She's been up there a long time, so she should be down soon. Anyway, how did you get Charon's contract off old Az? He'd never let it go."

"I stole it," Mei stated. "Wasn't that hard. He told me exactly where it was, broke in later that night. I had found a stealth boy on a Raider that had fallen off of a roof and used it to sneak past Charon and into his private quarters. When I showed the contract to Charon, he blew the old guy's head off. I have to admit, that was pretty good."

Gob stared in disbelief, but shook his head as though to clear it and said. "Serves him right."

"Awwoo! Hey there Capital Wasteland! This is Three Dog and you can heeaar me! I know some of you may be thinking, 'How can you know that, Three Dog, when you're up in your fancy radio tower?' Well, I recruited the saints from one-oh-one to fix my satellite dish, and now I'm broadcastin' to you stronger than ever! If you're listening, kids, thanks. This is Three Dog, bow-wow, bringin' you the truth, no matter how bad it hurts! And now, some music!"

I had completely forgotten about that, and noticed just how clear it came in now. There was a ton of static before and it faded in and out.

"You guys are the ones who fixed it?" Gob questioned.

"Obviously," Mei stated. "Didn't you hear Three Dog? Kari nearly died because she fell off of the top of the Washington Monument and because she was almost shot down by some mutants when retrieving the dish."

Gob seemed shocked and turned to me. I nodded and felt my face heat up. We fell into an awkward silence before Nova came back downstairs.

"Hey, kids," she said in her deep, warm voice. "Welcome back. Need anything?"

"A room," I said. "We've got the caps for the night."

"Great, I'll go get your room prepared."

She left us and headed back up the stairs and into a different room than the one she came out of.

"So, how long are you two staying?" Gob asked.

"I dunno. Probably after tomorrow," I replied. "I was hoping to find a way to make some more caps and stock up on more supplies. We're running low on stimpaks."

"I can sell you a couple cheap," he said in a low voice. "Twenty five caps each."

"Great. We'll have 398 left after the room, so we'll need about two-hundred for supplies, which leaves us with 198 caps. How many do you have?"

"Five," he replied. "Moriarty likes to keep some on hand to sell."

"Great. I'll take them all."

He nodded and pulled them out from underneath the counter. Mei paid him the one-hundred and twenty five caps before he handed them to me. He then stuck the caps in a register below the counter.

"Thanks, kid."

"I'll take a beer," Mei added.

"No, you will not," I stated. "Remember what happened the last time you got drunk?"

"Yep. You went crazy and we got Charon. Everything's okay now, though," she said. "You don't even remember going crazy."

"I said no," I replied.

"I'm the one with the caps, remember?" Mei pointed out.

I forgot about that. She was the one who had taken the five-hundred from Three Dog, and all I had were the leftovers, a measly sum of 18 caps.

"Gob, don't let her buy any," I pleaded. "She's a terrible drunk, and I really can't deal with her drunk."

"I'm sorry, kid," he replied. "Moriarty will have my head on a platter if I refuse a customer."

I bit my lower lip.

"Hikari, I may be of assistance," Charon piped up from behind.

"How so?" I asked.

"I can hold her back and prevent her from drinking. I was there the last time she drank, and I do not think it would be best if she did it again. It would only prove to slow us down."

"Mei, stop," I said. "I don't want to have Charon hold you back, but I will!"

"Kari, you're too nice," she said as she pulled out some caps. "Besides, we'll still have enough caps if I have a couple drinks."

"Mei, please," I begged. "Don't do this to me and yourself. Drinking can destroy you! You could become addicted, it can destroy your liver, it can cause your blood pressure to increase, it can lead to mental disturbance, and it can lead to heart failure, not to mention the fact that it can cause weight problems and regular stomach aches-"

"Fine! I won't drink! Just shut up!" she caved. "You're like a walking encyclopedia!"

It seemed that all of that reading useless books back in the Vault had come in handy. It was then that the back door had opened.

"God, you two sure know how to argue," Moriarty stated. "Find daddy yet?"

"No. He headed to Rivet City," I stated. "We're just waiting for Nova to finish up so we can rent the room."

"Who's that?" he asked, gesturing to Charon.

"That's Charon," Mei stated. "Don't mess with him or us, or he'll blow your leg off."

Moriarty eyed him carefully before saying, "Got a letter for you while you were gone, Mei. I'm not a postal service."

He walked forward and pulled the letter out of his pocket. Mei read it, and her face turned red before she crumpled it up and threw it into her pip-boy.

"The nerve of some people," she muttered.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Nothing of importance," she said. "Let's go pay Nova, now."

I nodded and followed her upstairs. Nova was just coming out of the room when Mei thrust the caps at her. We entered the room and sat on the edge of the bed. Charon stood there uncomfortably.

"Charon, we can all fit on this bed," I stated. "Come on."

He tried to get into bed with his armor on, but I asked him to at least take the top part off so he would be more comfortable.

"There may be danger here," he responded.

"There is no danger here," I said. "Simms wouldn't let anyone in he didn't trust. Plus, Nova, Gob, and Moriarty wouldn't let anyone suspicious in, or they would at least keep an eye on them."

"I'd rather not," he insisted.

"Fine," I gave in with a sigh. "I was just trying to make you more comfortable, but I guess not."

I rolled over into the middle of the bed and up against Mei. I could feel Charon shift into the bed, but he was laying on the very edge. I rolled over to face him.

"Charon, I want you to get comfortable, okay?"

"Yes, Hikari."

He just lay there, staring off into space.

"Kari, just leave him be," Mei said. "He'll be fine. He doesn't want you worrying about him and it makes him uncomfortable. He'll be fine sooner or later. Just try to go to sleep."

I decided not to argue and rolled back over after shutting off my pip-boy. I needed to sleep, and the sooner, the better.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I read the letter, and felt my face flare up.

_Beloved Mei,_

_I must beg your indulgence a little while longer. I am not yet able to send for you. Stay in Megaton. Once my business has concluded, I will send for you, and we will live happily as man and woman. The memory of your beauty and sweet aroma lingers in my memory..._

_Have patience my love. Soon. Soon we shall be together once again!_

_Your's very truly,_

_Burke_

Honestly, who did he think he was, writing letters like that? He even misspelled a word. He put, "Your's," instead of, "Yours." Gosh, he was making me feel like Kari, knowing things that nobody else seemed to care about. He made me want to shoot him. "Happily as man and woman?" God, how corny.

"The nerve of some people," I muttered.

"What is it?" Kari asked.

"Nothing of importance," I replied. "Let's go pay Nova, now."

She nodded and followed me upstairs. Nova was just coming out of the room when I thrust the caps at her. We entered the room and sat on the edge of the bed. Charon stood there uncomfortably.

"Charon, we can all fit on this bed," Kari stated. "Come on."

He tried to get into bed with his armor on, but she asked him to at least take the top part off.

"There may be danger here," he responded.

"There is no danger here," she said. "Simms wouldn't let anyone in he didn't trust. Plus, Nova, Gob, and Moriarty wouldn't let anyone suspicious in, or they would at least keep an eye on them."

Yeah, right. How naive, my little sister.

"I'd rather not," he insisted.

"Fine," she gave in with a sigh. "I was just trying to make you more comfortable, but I guess not."

She got into bed and I could feel her warmth against my back, and I could feel Charon shift into the bed, but he was laying on the very edge. Kari rolled over to face him.

"Charon, I want you to get comfortable, okay?"

"Yes, Hikari."

"Kari, just leave him be," I intervened. "He'll be fine. He doesn't want you worrying about him and it makes him uncomfortable. He'll be fine sooner or later. Just try to go to sleep."

I felt her roll back over against my back, and hoped that we could all go to sleep. Charon was uncomfortable doing what he wanted. It was probably because he was so used to doing whatever his employer wanted for God knows how many years. It just became embedded into his brain, and she was going to be the one to break him out of it. She may not realize it, but she is sometimes even more stubborn than me. She was just a more subtle kind of stubborn.

We were so alike, yet so different. Even our names... My full name was Meimei, but I hated it. I liked Mei a lot better. Meimei and Hikari... Dark and Light. Haha, mom and dad. Haha. Kari was the sweet, quiet one that wanted to make people smile. I was more sadistic and couldn't care less about people. I don't care about people, and they don't care about me. It was a mutual relationship. Kari was the other way around. She cared, and so did they. We were just like our names, but we didn't look it. I had the blond hair and blue eyes and a light tan while she had the dark hair and eyes and was the palest person I knew.

I sighed and tried to sleep, but my thoughts kept falling upon a new thought... Whether I should disarm the bomb or not, whether I should listen to Mr. Burke's stupid letter, if Dad was still alive, how everyone was fairing in the Vault, but not that I cared about them. I was just curious.

It felt like forever until I fell into an uneasy sleep. When I woke up, I was warm and comfortable and I didn't want to get up, but I had to. I slipped out of bed and noticed that with my absence, Kari rolled over and clung to Charon. The ghoul had a peaceful look about him when he slept, almost a though he was human. Once Kari touched him, he flinched and woke up. The situation I found myself in was a rather awkward one, so I left to go and shower. Kari would be just fine if she was left alone with him.

The shower was nice and cool, and it washed away the dirt and grime I had attracted from the week that we had spent out there. Had it really only been a week? It felt like forever. I did the math in my head to make sure everything was right.

Day one, escape from the Vault and work in Megaton. Day two, head to DC, sleep in Metro Station. Day three, arrive in Underworld. Day four, spend the day in Underworld waiting to recover. Day five, install the satellite. Day 6, talk to Three Dog. Day seven, wake up here. Damn. It really had.

I sighed and got out not too much later. I was getting kind of high on the Geiger counter, and I didn't want to end up a ghoul. Kari had the rad-aways and I probably should have taken a rad-x, but I didn't want to wake her.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I woke up unusually warm, and I was quite content until I realized there was a person that wasn't Mei next to me. I guessed it was Charon, but his armor was gone. I could feel his pulse beneath his shirt that he was wearing and selfishly snuggled deeper, trying to stay comfortable until it was time for me to get up. I felt Charon stiffen under my touch.

"Miss Hikari, I think you should get up now," he stated.

"But I don't wanna," I said, still half-asleep.

"The rude one has left, to some other location," I heard him say. "You should get up."

"Alright," I said with a yawn. "I need a shower, anyways. And please, call her Mei."

"Very well," he replied as he stood up, taking away the warmth.

I sat up and stretched in the bed before getting up and heading out, Charon in tow. It seemed that he would follow me anywhere.

"Good morning, kid," Gob greeted. "Sleep well?"

"Morning," I replied. "'nd yeah, thanks."

"So, are you staying for another night?"

"Maybe," I replied. "It depends on if we get enough caps. Know any place that we could earn any?"

"I hear that Lucy needs a message delivered," he said. "You could check there."

"Will do. Thanks."

He nodded before Charon and I headed out to the bathroom.

"Charon, you can't come in here," I told him. "Why don't you go and look around or something?"

"I must not leave you," he stated. "I must protect you."

"Charon, I'll be right here. It's safe here."

"I will stand guard then," he said.

"Fine," I replied. It seemed as though there was no reasoning with him. "If you're going to be staying right here, will you hold my rifle?"

"You should keep it with you in case you are attacked," he said.

"Charon, no one-" I began, but thought of something else. "Why don't you fix it for my while I'm in the shower? You can stand guard and make sure nobody comes in, as well."

"Very well," he agreed. "But be quick."

I nodded before entering the bathroom.

I took a rad-x before I entered the recently used shower and let the cold water run down my skin. I shivered slightly and wished it was warmer, but I couldn't change things. I scrubbed myself down with abraxo cleaner, which was very uncomfortable, and rinsed off all of the dirt that had accumulated since I had left Megaton last. I hated feeling dirty, but when all of the water sources were irradiated, I had no choice but to bathe as little as possible.

I got out and dried myself off with an old towel I had bought from Moira for a couple caps the last time I was in Megaton. I then pulled out another outfit. I washed my under clothes and stored them in my pip-boy to dry and selected an old jumpsuit from the Vault to wear. I needed to have Moira fix my armored one.

I heard Charon rap on the door and tell me to hurry up.

"I'm coming," I replied before zipping up my jumpsuit.

I opened the door, and he handed my rifle back to me.

"Your rifle was nearly jammed, and I'm surprised that it hasn't broken yet. I was able to fix it, though."

"Thank you, Charon," I said. "I appreciate it."

He nodded and didn't say another word. We then decided, well, I decided, to go try to find Mei and see what she thought about delivering a message for Lucy West. It sounded like an easy enough task, but it depended on where she wanted it delivered.

I found her standing down by the bomb, staring in thought.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said. "Why?"

"You look troubled."

"I'm fine. What're we going to do now?"

"Well, I hear Lucy West needs a message delivered, so I figured that we could maybe check it out."

She nodded. "After we stock up on supplies, though."

"Of course."

"Well, where does she live?"

"Dunno," I stated. "Somewhere here, I guess. If you want to do it, then we should go talk to Gob to get more information."

"Yeah," she said in a dead kind of voice. "That sounds good."

"Mei, there's something wrong with you," I stated.

She shrugged. "Nothing that I notice."

"Do you want to talk?" I asked.

She shook her head. "It's nothing, I promise. Let's go find this Lucy West person."

"Mei, there is something bothering you," I said. "You really should talk to someone, even if it's not me."

Again, she shook her head. "Nothing is wrong and I don't need your help. Let's go."

I frowned as she turned her back and headed up the hill to the saloon. I had no choice but to follow her. I couldn't make her talk to me.

"Hey, kids," Gob greeted. "What's up?"

"Where can we find Lucy West?" Mei asked.

"She's either here or at her house," he answered, "And she's not here. Her house is the one down to the right after you exit. She's tall and blond, though she usually has her hair up."

"Thanks," I said.

He smiled and nodded before we left. Her house was the only on to the right, so I knocked on the door. After a moment, the person in question answered.

"Can I help you?" she questioned.

"Are Lucy West?" I asked.

"Yes," she cautiously replied. "Why?"

"We hear that you need a message delivered, and I was wondering if we could be of any assistance," I said.

"That would be wonderful. Yes. I need a letter delivered to Arefu. It's not too far from here, but with the Raiders and other harmful creatures, I can't make it."

"How much will you give us?" Mei asked.

"Oh, I'm afraid I don't have any money, but my father will be more than happy to pay you once you arrive."

"Whatever. Where's the letter and where's Arefu?" Mei inquired.

I pulled my pip-boy and she showed us right where it was located.

"Not too far," Mei stated. "Well, all we need is the letter and we'll be on our way."

"Please give this to Davis or Matilda West, either of which will be more than happy to pay you," she replied as she handed me the letter. "But... try to stay away from my brother, Ian."

"Why?" Mei asked.

"Mei," I said. "Let's just do as she says and go."

Mei shot me a frustrated look before she turned and walked away. I was rather shocked by her behavior. She needed an attitude adjustment. I was just trying to help, and what went on in Lucy's family was her own business.

I sighed and stored the letter in my pip-boy before chasing after her. The walk to Arefu was quiet and uneventful, other than when we killed a few Raiders. I noticed that the normally quiet Charon was uncharacteristically loud as he let out string after string of curses while he blew the heads off whatever creatures attacked us. It was kind of... comforting, in a way. I don't really know how, though. Mei didn't even bother to aim her gun properly, and a bullet grazed Charon's shoulder. Nothing a bit of radiation couldn't heal, but it was still very odd. She was firing off randomly into the distance, claiming she saw a mole rat or something. But when we got closer, there was nothing there. Something was seriously wrong with Mei. I just wish she's let me know what it was.

Charon spotted a collapsed highway up ahead, and it looked like there was a settlement up there. We climbed up and over the decaying road and up the wooden planks. As we neared the top, a gun shot rang through the air. Charon had pulled me down quickly, covering my body his.

"What the hell!" Mei shouted. "I'm tired of people shooting us for no fucking reason!"

"Sorry!" an old voice shouted from atop the ruins. "Thought you were the Family. Hurry up and get up here!"

Charon pulled himself off of me and helped me up, but he walked directly in front of me, his gun at the ready.

"What the hell! Why did you shoot at us?" Mei scolded in a loud voice.

"Not so loud," he said. "We don't want them hearing you..."

"Great, another insane person!"

"Look, we've just come to deliver a letter for Lucy West to her parents," I intervened.

"Well, their house is near the back of the town, but be careful," he warned. "You never know when they'll strike..."

Mei rolled her eyes and strode away. As he said, their house was at the back of the village. I knocked, but there was no answer.

"Hello?" I called. "Mr. and Mrs. West?"

Still no answer.

"Just open the door, Hikari," Mei snapped. "It's not that hard."

I can't even remember the last time Mei had called me by my first name when addressing me. She had always called me Kari, even when we were little. There was definitely something wrong, and I would figure out what exactly soon.

She pushed by me and opened the door. I would have fallen backwards had Charon not been there to catch me. I muttered a word of thanks before following her in. The smell washed over me like a wave on a pre-war beach. It smelt of blood and rotting flesh. I back-stepped to avoid the smell, but Mei was indifferent to it.

"Hikari, you have to come take a look at this," she stated. "I can't tell what happened, and you're the medical expert."

I closed my eyes and nose to brace myself before stepping into the house. In the dim light of Mei's pip-boy, the mess didn't look as I thought it would have. I bent down to examine the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. West. The skin was covered in lacerations, and their necks had bite marks in them, but those wounds weren't as old as the other ones. They also had residue on them, which looked similar to the stuff they used to fuel trains back in pre-war times.

"Where's that Ian person that Lucy warned us to stay away from?" Mei asked. "His body isn't here."

"I dunno," I replied. "But it looks like someone tried to... eat them, and then suck their blood from their neck... But there is residue on them from a train yard... Let's go ask the guy at the front about this."

Mei nodded and we left the house. I took a deep breath of fresh air to clear my nauseated stomach.

"Did you find them okay?"

"They're dead," Mei said with a sour look on her face. "Well, the parents are. I don't know where the kid is."

"I examined the bodies, though," I stated. "It looks as though someone tried to eat Mr. and Mrs. West, and then drink their blood. It appears that there is some residue from a train yard. Is there anything like that nearby?"

"Y-yes," he replied. "The Family must be living in the old Meresti Station. My God, they must have killed them and taken Ian! Would you do me a favor and check up on the other residents? I'd do it myself, but I can't really leave my post in case they come back. I'm Evan King."

"I'm Hikari, and this is my sister, Mei, and our guard, Charon."

"Whatever," Mei said.

I knocked on the first door. A woman answered through a grate.

"Oh, who is it? Is this the mailman? I do love those home and garden magazines," she greeted.

"Um, no. Evan King sent me to check up on everyone," I replied as Mei went off to find another house.

"Oh, he's such a dear! Here, let me unlock the door for you-" There was a click before she opened the door- "I'm Brailee Ewers! Welcome to our home!"

"Brailee! What have I told you about letting people in!" a man shouted from inside the house. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Hikari," I stated. "Evan King sent me to check up on everyone."

"Pfft. Wonderful. I suppose he's still on the lookout for the Family. I guess he still doesn't realize that they only come at night. I'm Ken. Don't mind my wife. She's dumber than a bag of hammers."

"Pardon, but who are the Family?"

"They're a cult that comes here every so often and they try to kill us. They've already killed all of our Brahmin. What else is there to know?"

"Well, they've killed the Wests, so that's why I was sent," I stated. "It seems that you are safe for the moment, so I'll see myself out."

"Sure, leave," he said. "Just like everyone else."

I exited the house and met up with Mei, who had just checked in with the other resident, who was fine.

"Good to know everyone else is okay," Evan stated. "Now, I think the place you want is Meresti Station. It's northwest of here, about ten minutes away."

"Wait, why do we have to go?" Mei asked. "It's your problem, not ours."

"Mei, we have to deliver the letter, and it appears that Lucy's only relative left to take the letter is Ian," I replied. "We should go there."

"No. No way," she said. "You can go with your body guard. I'm going back to Megaton."

"Fine," I said. "If that's the way you want it, then so be it. Come on, Charon. We don't need her."

I was upset, but tore away from her and headed to Meresti Station. She left towards Megaton. Charon followed close behind me.

"It's not really my place," Charon said, "But I don't think that we should let your sister wander off into the wasted alone. It's not safe."

"I don't care," I replied.

Okay, so I did care, but I was too angry with her and I didn't know what her problem was. She wanted to be left alone, then so be it. I was going to help out the people of Arefu.

"I think you do," he stated. "You are angry and are letting your emotions get in the way of your judgement. She is hurt, and you know it."

"She won't let me in," I reminded. "I tried to talk to her, but she pushed me away."

"She is just as angry as you, as well as frightened and hurt by something."

I sighed. "You're right, but I need to help these people. I'll take care of it once I'm done here."

After that, we fell into silence as we entered the station. It was dark and filled with plenty of radiation-mutated creatures, which Charon quickly disposed of. I began to wonder just how much ammo he had with him.

We came across a couple of ghouls, which had surprised us. Murphy and Barrett is they had introduced themselves as. They were doing some research on Jet, trying to make it stronger for ghouls. He said he needed Sugar Bombs for it, and he'd pay me. I had a couple boxes on me, so I traded them for thirty caps total. I could buy more food when I got back to Megaton with the caps.

We pressed on, and I had activated a few traps, which Charon quickly responded to by pulling me out of the way of, or even taking the hits himself. I quickly tended to his wounds with some radiated water, promptly apologizing for my clumsiness. I felt kind of bad for him. He was bound by his contract to protect me, and I wasn't the most stable person around.

Soon, I could see a barrel in the distance that was alight. Just behind it was a barricade.

"Stop right there," a man from behind it said. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"I-I'm Hikari, and this is my body guard, Charon. We have a message for Ian West from his sister in Megaton."

"Hurry up," he said. "And don't try anything."

I nodded and walked passed him, but he kept his gun on me the whole time. I went through the only door at the end of the tunnel. Inside were a bunch of people who looked like they were just trying to make it through. They eyed Charon and me with curiosity as we passed. Up at the top of the stairs was a man who seemed to be in charge.

"Welcome to Meresti," he said in a smooth, deep voice. "My name is Vance. How may I be of service to you?"

"I'm Hikari, and this is Charon. We are looking for Ian West. I was given a letter to deliver to him from his sister."

"Ah. Young Ian is meditating right now and should not be disturbed, but I did not know any of his family survived."

"Yes, I saw the bodies of his parents. What happened to them?"

"I think Ian should let you know," he replied. "You people do not understand us, and I think it would be best if you go to the terminal to learn more about us before you make any decision about us."

"Very well."

He gave me the password and I went over to the nearest terminal. I read all of their laws. It seemed as though they were vampires, which I had read about back in the Vault. They were interesting, yet terrifying mythical beings. I returned to Vance once I was finished reading.

"You seem to be vampires, or at least, you follow their fictional traditions," I stated.

"I see you are... open to us," he said. "All members of my flock were at one point what you would call cannibals. I have trained them to shun the skin and drink only of the blood."

"And what of Ian West?"

"We are in the process of turning him," Vance said. "It would be unwise for him to know that part of him family survives."

"But he has the right to know," I reminded him. "This is his life, and he should be the one who chooses if he stays or goes."

"I cannot argue with you there," he replied. "Here is the passcode to the terminal that holds him in his room. You will find it at the end of this tunnel."

"Thank you."

At the end of the tunnel was indeed where the terminal was. I unlocked it and a boy a couple years younger than I was sitting on the bed. He looked frightened and stared at me with wide eyes.

"Wh-who are you? What do you want?" he questioned. "Vance doesn't want anyone in here."

"It's okay. I have permission from Vance. I'm Hikari," I said in a soft voice as I neared him. "I have a letter for you from your sister, Lucy. Do you want to read it?"

He nodded and I pulled it out of my pip-boy. He eyed my pip-boy with curiosity, but he immediately turned to the letter.

"She... She misses me," he said. "She asks about me, and she wants to see me..."

"Ian, what happened?" I asked as I sat next to him.

"I-I killed them," he whispered. "Mom and Dad, their dead because of me. I-I don't really know what came over me. I've sort of always had the hunger for flesh. When I was little, I saw a scavenger harassing the Brahmin. I told him to stop, but he pushed me. I fell and I think I hit my head. The next thing I knew, I was on top of him, ripping his throat out with my teeth. Lucy... She pulled me off, and she cleaned me up. We swore never to tell anyone about that incident. Every time I felt the urges come, she would hold me, and they would disappear. With her gone, I snapped, and now, Mom and Dad..."

"It's okay, Ian. You have someone who loves and misses you," I said, putting an arm around him and pulling him close. "She wants you to come home, and she'll help you through this."

He nodded and pulled away. "You're right. Will you tell Vance that I'm leaving? I need a moment to collect my things."

"Of course."

I left him alone and went to talk to Vance.

"So, has he made his decision yet?" he asked.

"Ian wants to go live with his sister," I stated.

"As much as it saddens me to lose a member of my flock, it is his choice," he replied.

"There is still the issue of Arefu to discuss," I stated. "The attacks need to stop."

"And what do you propose?"

"You can live off of any source of blood. Wouldn't that include blood packs?"

"Yes, but after the war, there are very few left," he said. "Surely you would know this."

"What if the members of Arefu donated blood packs, and in return, you could offer them protection?" I suggested.

"That sounds like a good deal."

"Great. I'll go back and talk to Evan King and tell him about the proposition, and then I'll come back and tell you his answer and take Ian back to Megaton."

"Very well."

"You are too kind to them," Charon stated after we emerged into the sunlight. "And you were too close to Ian West when he could have killed you."

I shrugged. "Maybe, but I can't let things go on like this."

Evan King agreed to the proposition and I quickly returned to Vance. He immediately sent out two people to help guard Arefu. I then met up with Ian West. He had a small pack with him, and he smiled lightly when I approached.

"I appreciate this," he stated. "Where is my sister?"

"She is in Megaton," I responded. "I'm heading there anyway, so it's no trouble."

"Thank you," he said. "I've been alive long enough to know that people require payment for these kinds of things, but I have nothing."

"It's alright. I don't really need any payment."

He smiled more pronounced before the three of us headed back to Megaton.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I didn't really mean to snap at Kari, it just sort of... slipped out. It wasn't her fault that any of this happened to me. I regretted it, but there was nothing I could do. She was off to the train station to find Ian, if he was still alive.

I felt bad for abandoning them, but I needed time on my own... I needed to think, maybe talk to someone, but not Kari. It wasn't her burden to carry. It was mine. I knew exactly what she would say and do, and I didn't really need her input on this.

I decided if I would talk to anyone, they had to have some sort of experience in that area. I wandered up to Moriarty's to find the person I had in mind. I approached them where they stood in their usual spot.

"Hey, sugar," Nova greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"I need... advice, someone to talk to, I don't know... Something."

"Tell me what happened, hon," she said.

"Is there anywhere more private that we could go to?" I requested.

"Sure. Come on," she replied. "I never get business this time of day, anyway, but we need to make it quick."

I nodded and followed her up to an old, empty room. She sat on the bed and patted the edge.

"What is it?" she asked as I sat down next to her.

I sighed. I had never had to deal with anything this big before. I didn't really know how to word it. I guess the best way would be to come right out and say it.

"Y-you know that guy? Mr. Burke?" I asked. "He was here about a week ago?"

"Yeah, I remember him. What about it?"

"Well, he asked me to blow up Megaton," I replied. "I seduced him and told him that I lived here, that he didn't want to hurt me. He gave in and left, but he told me to do it if I changed my mind. He sent me a letter, telling me that he'd send someone for me soon. I thought it was all a bluff, but it wasn't."

I paused, but she told me to go on.

"I had just gotten out of the shower this morning when I saw him. He ran up to me and... and he kissed me," I said. "I told him to stop, but he didn't listen. He grabbed me, and he took me down to his house. He threatened me, saying I should have detonated the bomb. He said he would kill me. That didn't really bother me. I've been threatened before, and I've killed. That was when he started to threaten Kari. Nobody does that in front of me and gets away with it. I punched him, and he got mad. He... he threw me... onto the bed, and he said, 'You shouldn't have done that, my little song bird. Now you'll have to pay, and then you'll destroy Megaton.' I was frightened. Truly frightened. He... he forced me do things with him. As if I wasn't already stressed out... He told me that he would shoot me and Kari if I didn't. I still fought him, but he was stronger... It hurt a lot. I tried to scream, but he wouldn't let me. I was so terrified..."

I could feel the tears falling down my face, but furiously wiped them away. I refused to cry. It was a sign of weakness.

"He told me to detonate the bomb, or he'd come back again... I feel like... like it's all my fault..."

"Hon, I'm so sorry," Nova whispered as she rubbed my back. "It's not your fault. If it makes you feel dirty, try taking a shower. That helped me at the beginning. The cool water eases away the pain and the burden it brings. And you shouldn't beat yourself up about this. He is at fault, not you, not anyone else. This is something that only time can heal, hon. You can tell Simms that he wanted you to blow up Megaton, and he'll shoot Burke on the spot if he comes near here. It'll be okay."

I was shaking with anger and fright, but I would overcome this. I had to. I nodded and half smiled. It made me feel better to talk about it with someone.

"Thanks for listening," I said, wiping the tears that were falling again. "And I think it's pretty obvious that I don't want this getting out."

"Secret's safe with me," she stated.

"Thank you."

"Well, I need to be getting back to work, but just let me know if you need anything, Sugar. I know how you feel."

I nodded and she stood up to leave. I glanced down at my pip-boy. Kari should be back soon, but I wasn't really ready to apologize just yet. Like Nova said, this would take time.

I decided to take her advice and take a long shower and purchased some rad-x and a rad-away from Doc Church. For the second time that day, I took a long, cool shower. Nova was right. It did make me feel better. I would probably tell Simms about Burke after I was finished.

After my talk with Simms, I spotted Kari off in the distance, along with Charon and another person. I guessed him to be Ian West. He looked younger than I was, and he had no hope of recovering his parents. The only thing he had left was his sister, like me. She was the only person that really understood me and I had made her upset. I felt horrible and approached her.

"I'm sorry," I stated before I pulled her in for a hug.

She returned it without a word. I took the silence as an, "Apology accepted."

She smiled at me before we took Ian up to his sister's house. She was saddened by the news of her parents' death, but she was happy to have Ian back. In return for Kari's assistance, she gave us one-hundred caps. Kari thanked her before we headed up to Moriarty's. We sat in our usual spot at the bar next to Gob.

"Hey, kids," he greeted. "How'd it go, Kari?"

"It went a lot better than I had expected," she replied. "The Wests were dead, but Ian, Lucy's brother, survived. He was taken by the Family. I went to get him back, preparing myself for the worst, but they were quite civil and easily reasoned with. They're like pre-war vampires, living off blood, not skin. They turn cannibals and teach them to control the urges that they get to eat people. I came up with the idea for the people of Arefu to donate blood packs and in return, the family would guard them. Both leaders agreed, and Ian's back with Lucy."

"That's great, kid. I guess you really are a saint, just like Three Dog says."

She blushed lightly. "I don't know if I'm a saint, but I try to do the right thing."

I had a new respect for my sister. Sure, she wasn't the best shooter, but she was great at solving arguments. I knew that pack in the Vault, though. She was the problem solver, walking encyclopedia, and doctor-in-training.

"Well, we got some more caps, so I think we're going to head out tomorrow," she said. "We need to stock up supplies before we leave, though. Mei, can I have the caps, now?"

I nodded and pulled them out of my pip-boy and handed the sack to her. We had 283 caps left to buy supplies, according to Kari. I would let her take care of that stuff. I was more for the shooting and killing aspect.

I waited at the bar while Kari went off with Charon to Craterside to stock up on more supplies. Gob tried to talk to me, but I wasn't very social and brushed him off, feeling a lot more like my usual self. I listened to the radio, but Three Dogs music was repetitive, even with the music we had given him.

Moriarty came out of the back and smirked at me.

"Still here, eh?"

"Yup," I said as I leaned against the counter. "Kari's gone off to get supplies and we'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Well, tha's good to know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Oh, nothin'. Tha' sis o' yours is too friendly with everyone, is all. Don' really like it."

He cuffed Gob in the back of the head, which caused the glass to fall from his hands.

"Watch it, you rotting bag of flesh!" the Irishman shouted before throwing a punch.

I glared at him, and he laughed.

"What, have I offended you? Too bad, lassie. Nothin' you can do about it. Nobody in this town, not even Simms is better than me or has a faster, steadier hand."

He hit Gob again.

"You'd better stop that," I warned.

He hit him again, this time in the gut.

"Or what? Nobody can out-shoot me, and nobody has the balls to. You don' like is, lassie, then you can lea-"

Bang! Bang! Two shots rang out from pistol that I had in my pip-boy. Blew his yammering head clean off his shoulders and shut his garbage-shooting mouth.

"I told you to stop," I said to his corpse.

People started to panic, but Gob just stood there, covered in blood and in shock. Everyone else ran out.

"Come on, Gob," I said. "Let's go find Kari."

He stared at me like a pre-war deer in the headlights of a pre-war car.

"Come on, Gob," I repeated. "You're free. Now let's go find Kari and get you out of here."

He shook his head as though to clear his thoughts and came around the corner.

"You're more than free to come, Nova," I added.

She nodded slowly and followed me out of the building. People were panicking below, and I thought it would be best to try not to raise awareness of my presence.

I entered Craterside and found Kari chatting with Moira and Charon and Moira's merc staring each other down.

"Kari, we gotta go," I said.

"What?" she said, whirling around. Then, she spotted Gob. "Oh-oh God, Gob, are you alright?"

"Kari, did you not hear me? Wrap this up. We have to go. Simms is gonna have my head if we don't."

"What did you do?" she questioned.

"I... may have shot Moriarty and made his head burst open..." I admitted. "But we have to go. They're probably going to try to kill me, and maybe you, I don't know. The point is, we have to leave. Now! And we need more 10mm ammo."

"O-okay," she replied. "Moira, I need what she just said. Got any left?"

"Sure! Let me just grab some. That'll be twenty caps for all I've got!"

"Okay, sure," she said. "I have to go. I hope to see you soon."

"You take care now," she said with a smile.

I handed my .32mm pistol to Gob and told Kari to give Nova her 10mm pistol and the ammo. She did, and then handed me more magazines for my assault rifle. I thanked her and the five of us silently left the now panic-crazed town of Megaton.

* * *

After notes:

That makes five chapters uploaded in one night. I feel so accomplished.

This was originally going to be a Burke/LW story, but I realized that he was a creeper and a bigot, so I changed it. Thank you, common sense.

And I don't like Moriarty, either, in case I didn't make that too clear in this chapter.

This is my second longest chapter, only to number 10, I think. I don't really know for sure.

Anywho, go ahead and drop a review, pm, something to motivate me. Much appreciated, HikariMei.


	6. Chapter 6: Ces't la Vie

Chapter 6: C'est la Vie

~Hikari's POV~

I was really confused when Mei showed up in Craterside with Nova and a blood-splattered Gob, but it seemed she really was back to her usual self. I disliked Moriarty, but there was nothing I could do anymore. Mei had shot him, and he was dead.

We stealthily left Megaton. Where we were going to go from there, I was unsure of, but I was thinking Underworld for Gob and then Rivet City for Nova and to talk to Dr. Li. We were stocked up with enough supplies to get us to Rivet City, but that was enough for Charon, Mei, and me, not for all five of us. I guessed we could have Charon cook up some radroach or mole rat if we got desperate. We had 278 caps left after I went shopping and had my armor repaired, so we could stock up once we reached Underworld.

Once the sun was down, we decided to make camp. Charon left to go find wood to make a fire so we could stay warm and have something to eat. Mei shot anything that came too close, like radroaches, wild dogs, and mole rats. Charon was back within minutes with plenty of wood. He quickly got a fire going and I pulled some Salisbury steaks out of my pip-boy. Charon made five, and we all had water to drink. That was the main concern, though. I only had one more bottle of purified water left, and after that, it was all radiated water, if we could find any.

"How long will it take us to get to Underworld now?" Mei asked.

"According to my pip-boy, we should get there tomorrow afternoon, if we're lucky," I stated. "And by lucky, I mean no run-ins with Super Mutants or Raiders. If we do, then probably the following morning."

I sat next to the fire and tried to stay warm. Even though the days were scorching, the nights were worse. They could freeze anyone to death and we were lucky to have one another and a fire. I closed my eyes and pulled my legs up to my body, resting my forehead against my knees. I felt someone sit right next to me, but I didn't care whom it was. I leaned over against them. I was tired from the day that was supposed to be used to relax from the traveling. I think it was Charon, because the person had armor on and was usually warm, but I could have been mistaken. Either way, I let sleep overtake me.

I woke to gun shots the next morning. Off in the distance, I could see three figures in recon armor. I grabbed my gun and headed off to fight with Charon and Mei. They had disposed of two by the time I got there, and the third one was bleeding pretty badly. I shot him through the torso, finishing him off.

Mei and Charon searched the bodies, grabbing their ammo, stimpaks, and armor. After Charon repaired the armor, he gave one set to our new traveling companions and Mei equipped the other. Charon handed me a holotape from one of the bodies. I put it in my pip-boy to read it.

__

"Boys and girls, we've got ourselves a couple of holier-than-thou white-knights who need to be put down. Here are the details:

Name: Hikari and Mei Mansen  
Race: Caucasian  
Sex: Female

The bounty is 1000 caps this time around. And for a change of pace, they want the heads this time.

Good hunting!"

I stared at in shock. Someone wanted Mei and me dead, and they were going to give a lot of caps for our deaths. _It's a good thing Charon's around. I don't know what we'd do without him._

I was well awake by then, and quite frightened. I showed the note to Mei, and she frowned.

"We have to pick up the pace," Mei stated. "I want us there by the end of today, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Let's go."

The new pace set by Mei was challenging, but the sooner we got there, the better. We practically flew through the metro station and out past Three Dog's radio tower. The five of us didn't stop for lunch. We shot through the next set of tunnels and soon came out the other side as the sun was setting in the distance. My legs felt like they weighed a ton, and I felt like I was slowing down, but I pressed on. We were nearly there, and I was determined to make it before the sun finished setting. We kept walking, but it seemed as though they were getting farther and farther up ahead of me. I wasn't about to ask them to slow down, though.

Suddenly, I felt myself stumble over a loose rock and felt the sharp stones scrape my face. I went to pick myself up, but Charon was already there, helping me back up.

"Don't expect me to be here all the time," he said as he picked me up. "Because there may be a day where I won't. You need to toughen up."

I nodded, speechless as he began to carry me bridal-style over to the others.

"You are slowing us down. I will train you for the next few days to toughen you up for when that day comes," he stated. "It will be hard, but it will be worth it in the long run."

Again, I nodded.

"We'll be in Underworld soon. Five days is how long we will stay there, and I will teach you how to shoot, fight hand-to-hand, and everything else that I can while we are there."

I swallowed hard. I had a feeling that these next few days would be pretty hard.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I kinda felt sorry for Kari. She fell flat on her face, then Charon said that he was going to, "Toughen her up." Sure, the wastes were a rough place, but Kari has always been the one that everyone wants to protect. I guess the fact that the mercs were after us made him want to do it, but I had a feeling that she was in for a rough time, and trust me, I'm rarely wrong.

I was surprised that Underworld let us back in after we disposed of Az. Carol was overjoyed to see Gob, and vice-versa. We were all shocked when he introduced Nova as his girlfriend. I guess that's why she came along with us without a second thought. Whatever. Carol gave us a free bed, but it was twin, and there were still three of us. We'd figure something out. Kari told Carol that we'd be staying for about five days, and she rushed off to prepare a room.

"So, how long have you two been boyfriend and girlfriend?" Kari asked.

"A few months, now," Nova stated. "It just sort of... happened."

"Three months, two weeks, and six days, to be exact," Gob corrected.

I made gagging noises at the sweetly-sick puppy-dog look Gob was wearing as he glanced at Nova.

"Come on, Mei. I think it's really sweet," Kari stated.

"Kari, you think everything is sweet."

"Do not!"

"You'd try to keep a mole rat as a pet if it wouldn't harm you," I teased.

"So?!"

I was kind of shocked, but not quite. Kari _would_ be the one to think that. I smiled and shook my head.

"It's ready," Carol said as she rejoined us.

"We'll leave you three alone, now," I said as I pulled Kari over to the same room as before.

As we went into it, there was a larger bed than before. I think it was a double bed, but either way, it was big enough for all three of us. I smiled at Carol's thoughtfulness and flopped down on the bed.

"Rest well, Hikari. These next few days will probably be the most challenging ones you have encountered," Charon stated. "But you may not quit. I do not expect you to show much promise in the beginning, but you will learn, just like I have."

Kari looked kind of scared and very exhausted as she curled up beside me. Charon took off his armor top and got in beside Kari, facing the other way. I soon fell asleep.

The following morning, I woke up to Charon shouting at Kari, telling her to get up. I looked down at my pip-boy. Six a.m. Great. I sat up alongside Kari. Charon was all dressed and ready to get the day started.

"Hurry and eat," he said, tossing a piece of radroach meat at her. "I have five days to teach you everything that I know, and that is not nearly a sufficient amount of time, but we will make due. I want you dressed and ready to go in half an hour outside by the dinosaur fossil. Make haste!"

Without another word, he left us alone in the room. It looked as though Kari had gotten zero sleep last night. I smiled sympathetically at her as she put the meat in her pip-boy and pulled out a half-eaten box of sugar bombs. She shoveled a couple handfuls into her mouth before shoving the box my way. I ate as she got changed and then followed her down to the foyer. Charon stood there impatiently.

"Give me your bag, but put everything that is currently in it in your pip-boy."

She did as she was told and put the ammo and chems in her pip-boy, then handed him the bag. He then shoveled rubble into it until it was nearly coming apart at the seams.

"You will keep this on until I say so," he instructed. God, Charon was so scary when he was like that. "Now, I want you to run five laps around the room, then await further instructions. Is that clear?"

She nodded.

"I can't hear you!" he shouted.

"Yes, Charon," she said.

"What was that you called me?"

"I called you by your name," she stated.

"For your cheek, you will run double the laps, now get going!"

She looked as though she was about to cry as she began to do as she was told. He kept yelling at her to go faster, and I wanted to slap him. He made me angry beyond words for putting my sister through that torture. I had a feeling that before the training was over, she would snap, and I needed to be ready to help her in case things got violent.

Once she was done running laps, he made her do push-up after push-up with the bad of rocks on her back. Every time she fell, she had another one added. The torture went on as he turned things into hand-to-hand combat. I could tell that he wasn't taking it easy on her as he practically threw her across the room. I think she would have been covered in bruises and cuts if she hadn't been able to somehow heal. I don't even think she knew that she was able to do that.

She was trying her hardest, but each time, Charon was able to toss her aside as if she was only a rag doll. It wasn't around noon until he let her eat lunch, which he gave her ten minutes for. I handed her the rest of the sugar bombs and purified water, which she shoved down her throat. I motioned for her to sit next to me on the steps. I pulled out my old towel and wiped the sweat, dirt, and blood off of her face before Charon called her back out.

He switched her over to running again. According to my pip-boy, she ran for about an hour before she tripped and fell. The rocks tumbled out of her bag, and Charon picked her up harshly and added even more rocks to it.

"Keep going," he shouted in her face.

The door behind me opened, and Gob and Nova joined me.

"What's going on?" Gob asked.

"He's, 'Training,' Kari," I stated. "He's been at it for a few hours, and he hasn't let up. What's this guys beef?"

Gob sighed. "I knew Charon before the bombs fell. I can tell you his story, but I don't think he would appreciate it very much if I did."

"I don't care," I said. "Lay it on me."

"Well, Charon was orphaned at a very early age, from what I've come to understand. The government was looking for such individuals to train for their army. They brainwashed the kids into mindless soldiers, blindly loyal to whoever holds his contract," he explained. "From what I know, he's been through extremely tough training. His instructors took no pity on them. If they messed up or failed in any way, they would be punished severely. I don't even think this training comes close to it. They really were tortured until they had nothing left of their old selves. His kind were used in military operations, mostly. One was even bought by the president back before the war to protect him. He was shot by some terrorists, though. Unfortunately, that one didn't make it. Anyway, Charon was one of their top soldiers that completed the training, and he was assigned to work in Anchorage before the war. I worked alongside him as a military medic. I wanted to work for the government, but they needed more people up there, so that was how I met Charon. I have to say, a lot of the girls at the airport were swooning over him, so I guess he was quite the looker."

"What did he look like?" I asked.

"He looks a lot like he does now, only with hair, skin, ears, and a nose," he replied with a shrug.

"Well, I _know_ that," I said.

He smirked, "Then why'd you ask?"

"You know what, never mind."

"Suit yourself."

Nova was left, claiming that she couldn't watch the torture. Gob actually asked me if what Charon was doing was legal. I didn't know, but I wasn't aware that anything was _il_legal anymore.

It wasn't until nearly ten until Charon let her go. Kari nearly collapsed when she lay down on the bed next to me. She smelled terrible, but looked worse. She had deep, dark circles underneath her eyes and she bore the look of some of the crazy wastelanders, which made me worry about her. I didn't think she would be able to take another day of the torture that Charon called "Training."

She was asleep before I even settled into bed, and I knew something had to be done. I began to hatch a plan as I fell asleep.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I felt as though someone rolled over me with a pre-war bulldozer, then had dropped a building on my head after ten Super Mutant Behemoths danced on my corpse. I wanted to do nothing but lay in bed all day, but I woke again, that time at 5:30, to Charon shouting for me to get up. I was out of Sugar Bombs, so that was out of the question for breakfast. He threw another piece of radroach meat at me, which I stored in my pip-boy. Mei pulled out a box of Dandy Boy Apples and handed them to me. I promptly thanked her before consuming them.

Charon was in the same spot as the day before, and he still held my bag, which was still filled with rocks.

"Ten laps, let's go!" he shouted.

I didn't say a word, but rather took the bad and went off running. I found that he was less likely to add to my training. My muscles burned from all of the stress that I put on them the day before. I knew I couldn't stop, though. As long as the pain wasn't sudden, everything was normal. From one of the books that I read back in the Vault, I knew that small muscle fibers would tear if they weren't used to being used, and then they would become stronger.

__

Just push through the pain, honey,

I heard my dad's voice say. _I have faith in you._

Just thinking about my dad spurred me onward, giving me enough energy to get through the first part. After that, he put me though more pushups with the rocks on my back. My arms, back, and legs screamed in protest, but I pushed through it. I had to, for my dad and sister. They were my motivation. I knew I would be stronger after that.

It wasn't until we moved to hand-to-hand combat again that I really felt the pain in my arms. Charon was like an unmovable wall that insulted you and then threw you away like rotting radroach meat. I felt my skin scrape against the pavement and then the flow of blood, but I ignored it and charged right back at him. The lunch break flew by too fast, and I had never really cared too much for cram, but it was the only food that we had left that didn't need cooking. I choked it down, along with a bottle of radiated water. Then, it was back to running. There was no dinner break, just like the day before, so we worked up until it was time for bed. I knew I reeked, but I was too tired to do anything about it.

I fell asleep almost instantly, wishing to die right then and there in my sleep to save me from the torture.

When I woke up the next morning, my whole body ached even worse than before. Charon woke us up at 5 am that morning.

"I've got some things to do today, so I'm afraid I can't come with you," she stated. "But here, take some Cram. You'll need the protein."

"Thanks," I said before heading off to find Charon.

I wished Mei could have come with me, but she said she had something that she needed to do, and I knew she wouldn't leave me unless it was important.

My torture began with the usual, only he added five more laps. I was in a lot of pain, and I felt like collapsing right then and there, but I knew Charon would be on me in an instant, adding more torment to my, "Training." I thought of Dad again, and even of Mom. I wished she hadn't died. I wished she could still be with us. Then, maybe Dad would be there, too, and I wouldn't be stuck with Charon, who seemed intent to crucify me.

Charon took me outside then, saying that I had to learn to shoot better. He pointed to a couple Super Mutants and told me to kill them. He also said that he would not interfere. I carefully took aim with V.A.T.S. I don't think Charon knew that such a system existed. It told me the percentages and I selected the torso twice and then the head once. My first shot missed entirely, but the second two hit. The Mutants then noticed where I was and began to charge at me. I fired wildly at them, killing the first within the first two magazines of ammo. The other took out a hunting rifle and began to fight back. I felt one pierce my shoulder, but I kept on firing. Another one grazed my cheek before my battery beeped at me, saying V.A.T.S. was full. I took advantage of it and fired a couple more times, taking aim at its head, before it fell.

I went to tend to my wound, but there was none. A bullet slowly poked out before sealing up completely. I was shocked and simply stared at it.

"No using your machine, next time," he said. "It may not always be there to lend a hand."

"The hell?!" I screamed. "Did you just see what happened?!"

He gave me an odd look before shaking his head. "Back to training. We're going to continue with hand-to-hand combat."

"But, Charon-"

"No buts! Inside, now!"

I frowned and followed him inside. He attacked me before I was even ready to begin. I fell to the ground and slid a few feet away.

"I wasn't ready! I exclaimed.

"The enemy won't wait for you to be _ready_," he stated. "Up, let's get this over with."

I charged at him, filled with uncharacteristic anger. Each time I took a go at him, he pushed me harder and harder, making it more and more difficult to pull myself off of the floor, but each time filled me with fury. I was close to cracking, just like I had back in the Vault. Thinking of the Vault made me wonder how Amata was doing. I pushed the thought out of my head and went to tackle him again, but he pushed me down. I got right back up, each time I pushed myself harder and harder.

"Keep control over your anger," he warned. "Don't let it control you."

I blocked out the ghoul who was somewhat abusing me and charged at him, finally knocking him back a bit, and he was off balance for the moment, allowing me to gain the slight upper hand. He fell backwards to the ground, and I couldn't help but smirk. I went to help him back up, but he knocked my feet out from under me.

"Why did you do that?!" I shouted.

"Never turn your back on an enemy," he stated. "Never leave yourself vulnerable to attack, and never assume your enemy finished."

I glared at him and felt my anger flare up as I snapped.

"I've had it!" I yelled. "This isn't training, it's abuse! It's torture! I'm done!"

I turned to leave, but he grabbed my arm.

"We are done when I _say_ we are," he growled.

"Get your ******* hands off me, you zombie!" I shouted.

In one swift movement, he had me pinned on the ground. I struggled with all of my might to get up, but he held me down.

"You do not realize the seriousness of the situation you are in," he barked. "You cannot shoot straight, you have no physical strength, you have bounty hunters and mercenaries on your tail, and only me and your sister to protect you. You have to learn these skills, because it is a matter of life and death. You will _die_ if you do not! It is _you_ that I am trying to protect! Now get back up and finish what you've started!"

"In case you didn't notice, _I_ didn't start this!" I pointed out. "_You _were the one who decided that you were going to, 'Toughen me up,' because I'm not _strong_ enough for this world!"

"Because you are _not_ strong! You are weak!"

"There is more to strength than physical fitness! There is strength of the mind, there is emotional strength and there is spiritual strength, all of which you are breaking right now trying to get me _physically_ strong!" I bellowed. "You have no idea what I have gone through in my eleven days of being outside the Vault, nor do you know anything about my experiences _in_ the Vault, or anything _about_ me! Now let me _UP!_ I am done!"

His grip seemed to relax, and I squirmed away from him and stormed off into the main building.

Upon arriving back in Carol's Place, Mei was sitting on the bed. She wore a head wrap that covered all of her hair and made her look funny. She was reading some book on how to better use guns.

"God, Kari, you reek," she said. "I'm not letting you in bed until you bathe."

"I don't care if I smell."

"Ooh, he got you pissed. Come on, a bath to cool you down."

"But I-"

"No buts," she interrupted. "Let's go."

She steered me to the bathroom down the stairs. She shut and locked the door before she rinsed out the bathtub, then filled it with cold water. She made me take a rad-x before getting in. The cold water seemed to make my muscles ache less, and it felt good to sit. Still, the cold water was not as big of a shock as when Mei took off her head wrap. She had cut her hair so that it was the same length and color as mine. The only difference was our eye color.

"Wh-what-?"

"I came up with this plan last night," she whispered. "You may not see it, Kari, but you're dying on the inside. You need a day of rest, and I'll give it to you. Just wear my wrap and he won't notice the difference."

"What about our eye color?" I questioned. "I'm pretty sure he'll be able to tell by that, not to mention that I'm paler than you."

"It's called a spray on tan and colored contacts," she said as she pulled out some strange objects from her pip-boy. "I got them off of Snowflake. He's the one who did my hair. He said that they were really popular before the war, but it's quite rare to find them here in the wastes. You need to pay him fifty caps, by the way. I promised him that I'd pay him tomorrow. I'll spray you so that you're darker than me, and then I'll put in the contacts. It'll be fine."

I was mad at Charon, and I was definitely in need of rest.

"I don't know if Charon will want to train me after what I just said to him," I admitted.

"What did you say?"

"I called him a zombie; I swore at him, I told him that he knew _nothing_ about me, or anything. I stormed off after that."

"I doubt Charon's going to give up that easily on you," Mei stated. "Come on. At least to be on the safe side."

"Fine," I caved with a sigh.

"Good. Once you're done, we'll get things all fixed up."

I nodded, and after about ten minutes of soaking, I pulled my towel out of my pip-boy and dried off. Mei got my back and neck with the tanning stuff while I got the rest of me and prayed that it would work. I'm pretty sure Charon would kill us if he were to find out.

By the time we were done, Charon was already back and sitting on the bed. We both glared at him and ignored him, but I averted his eyes.

&Hikari, I believe it would be best to continue our training tomorrow," he stated.

"**** off, zombie. I... need some time alone," Mei said.

"Very well. It seems that I have upset you. I still think we should continue training tomorrow."

"Fine," she said, perfectly imitating my voice.

"Are you sure, Kari?" I asked, trying to mock her voice.

"Yeah," she said with a sigh. "I am... kind of a wimp."

"Pah. Yeah, you are," I replied. "Now, let's get some shut-eye."

I took Mei's usual spot and she took mine. I prayed that things would turn out okay in the end.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

We were woken by Charon shouting at us, well, me, to wake up. I looked down at my pip-boy. 4:30. Great. He told me to be ready by 5 in the usual spot. So far, so good.

"Rest up, Kari," I whispered once Charon had left. "Stay out of the foyer and avoid him, or he may catch on."

She nodded and rolled back over. I ate a handful of mutfruit before I headed out the door.

I had seen the torture that Kari had been through, and I thought I could handle it. Fact was, she made it look _easy. _The bad of rocks killed my shoulder and back, and the pushups made my arms feel like jelly. I wondered just how Kari had withstood it for the time she did. I didn't really want to do the hand-to-hand combat, as it would make us closer, making it more probable that he would figure out our identities.

I stared him down, looking for a flaw in his stance, anything. I could tell that he was well trained. I could detect no flaw, but it was only a matter of time before I discovered his vulnerable spot. He tossed me aside many times, and I avoided touching my skin to the rocks. Kari could regenerate, but I couldn't. I'm sure Charon would notice.

I felt my hands scrape against the ground, but I curled my hands into fists, trying to staunch the bleeding. I was knocked back a couple more times before I saw an opening. Just as he was about to attack, he left himself vulnerable to assault. I waited for him to make his move, carefully watching him.

There! I took the opportunity to charge him and knocked him off balance. He seemed surprised and I tacked him to the ground, kneeling over him, one hand around his neck and the other in a fist by his head. Our eyes locked for a brief moment, and he scowled.

"You are not Hikari," he stated. "Where is she?"

"Kari is sleeping. You are too hard on her," I said. "She is just a child. She doesn't deserve the torture that you're putting her through!"

He glared and quickly flipped us, pressing one hand to my throat and applying pressure.

"There is nothing in my contract that says anything about killing siblings of my employer," he stated.

"Right, but she ordered you not to kill anyone unless they posed a _direct threat_," I choked out. "And I pose no threat."

"You are refusing to let my employer train, and that puts her at risk."

"That is-is an _in_direct threat. I am not h-harming her."

He angrily got off, and I could see just how bad he was shaking from anger. His fists were clenched at his side and his head was down. He abruptly turned to face me, walking fast towards me. His hand wrapped back around my throat and he backed me into a wall.

"It does not violate my orders to _harm _you," he stated as he pulled back his fist.

I closed my eyes, bracing myself for impact, but the wall next to me cracked and crumbled. I opened and his fist was in a small crater, blood dripping down off of his knuckles. He released me roughly before turning his back.

"But that does not mean that I will stoop down to that level," he finished. "We leave tomorrow morning."

I stared at him in surprise as he walked back into the building. I followed him, in case he tried something with Kari. I had seen him blow the head off Az before, but his contract had been in my possession at the time. I briefly wondered if he would do the same to Kari, even if she _did _have the contract. I brushed it off, though. He was blindly loyal to the contract entered Carol's Place in a rage. He violently ripped the door open, and I could hear the hinges squeak loudly in protest. He suddenly stopped. I glanced from behind him and saw Kari sleeping. She had looked exhausted before, but she looked even worse in her sleep. She looked very vulnerable as she slept, too. I hoped that Charon would let her sleep.

Maybe it was seeing her like that that made him turn around and slowly close the door, the anger on his face dissipating. He sighed and left the room. I followed him out, not wanting to disturb my little sister. Charon leaned against the wall and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He offered me one.

"Those things will kill you," I stated.

Being surrounded by doctors and the like, that fact had been drilled into my head. Alcohol, my dad hadn't really touched on, considering the fact that all of it was locked up. He stared off into the distance with his milky-blue gaze. He seemed angry, still, but he didn't show it.

"Do you see why I did this?" I questioned. "She needs it. She's only a kid, for God's sake. She's nineteen, and we shouldn't even be out here."

"Why are you here, then?" he asked. "Why not stay in that Vault of yours?"

"We were kicked out," I explained. "The Overseer of the Vault went kind of insane and tried to have us killed, but we weren't involved in _anything._ It was all Dad. If he hadn't... then we wouldn't..."

I was frustrated, unable to form coherent sentences or thoughts.

"Calm down, kid," he said.

"Sorry, it's just... stressing and... and frustrating. I wanted to _kill_ the Overseer that day, along with every other person who stood in my way," I stated. "My Dad, he left the Vault. Overseer kinda went insane. Well, he was insane before, but not as bad. He never ordered to have us _killed._ If it weren't for Amata, we'd probably be dead. We escaped, but the Overseer lived. I think he believed that we had something to do with our Dad escaping, and he's a control freak. Nobody besides Amata likes him, and that's because he's her dad. Anyway, we were forced to live in these wastes in an instant. It's been about... a week and five days, I think, since we left. I'd say we've adapted pretty well, but you say otherwise."

I wanted to punch something, someone, anything. Anything to get rid of the anger, frustration, madness, and even sadness that flowed through me. Charon sighed.

"I apologize," he said. "I did not know that is what happened. Perhaps you two need more time to get things up to par with everyone else."

"Got that right," I shot. "Just... take things easy on Kari. She's all I've got left, not including Dad, because we don't even know if he's alive. For all we know, he could have been eaten by a Super Mutant, or something worse. That's why we have to go to Rivet City. That's where he was headed. If there's any hope of us finding him, then we have to go there."

He sighed and stared at the ground, smoke spilling out his nose and mouth. I had to admit, since he didn't have a nose, it looked kinda funny when it coiled out of the holes where it would be.

"Like I said, we'll leave tomorrow."

I nodded. I didn't like sitting around with nothing to do. If I had something to shoot, then I'd feel better.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I sat up and rubbed my eyes, glancing down at my pip-boy. It was nearing one in the afternoon. I hadn't meant to sleep that late, and I never had before, but it felt good. I guessed that I really _was_ tired. I glanced around, but no one was around. I took a look at myself in the reflection of my pip-boy and fixed the head wrap. I hoped that Charon wouldn't find out, because I had a gut feeling that he would be pretty angry, and I didn't want that.

I wandered outside and saw Charon and Mei leaning over the railing on silence. They both looked angry in their own ways, and I knew it was up. I took a step forward before Charon turned around. He sent a glare in my direction, and I felt kind of bad for what we had done. I knew if I were in his position, I probably would be.

He sighed and leaned back against the stone bars. "We leave tomorrow."

That was all he said before turning back around.

"You can take the wrap off, Kari," Mei stated.

For a moment, I didn't even remember that I still had it on. I took it off and stored it in my pip-boy.

"I'm going to stock up on things we need," I stated. "I should be back in time for us to eat dinner together."

Mei nodded, but made no other acknowledgement. I walked down the steps and into Tulip's shop. She greeted me with a smile.

"Hello, and welcome back," she greeted. "How can I help you?"

"I just need to stock up on more supplies," I replied. "I need... Some magazines of 5.56mm, probably about fifteen. I also need... fifteen bottles of water and five boxes of sugar bombs, ten mutfruit, five apples, four cans of pork and beans, and ...five boxes of devilled eggs."

She turned her back and went to the locked storage box behind her.

"So, how's the caravan doing?" I asked.

"A lot better than we had anticipated, thanks to you and your sister," she stated. "If Quinn had died, I don't believe that we would be able to survive here anymore. By the way, Quinn brought back a couple of pre-war holotapes for you this morning."

"Oh, he's back?" I questioned.

"Yes, just arrived this morning," she replied. "I'll throw those in with the rest of the supplies."

"Thanks," I said.

She nodded and told me my total, which I knew was a lot less than it should be, so I pulled out my caps and paid for the supplies. I thanked her before heading out with the supplies, but they added to my burden. On my way up, I ran into Gob.

"Hey," I greeted. "How are you guys settling in?"

"Great," he said with a smile, but the others don't really accept Nova for... reasons."

"Why? Is it what she used to do? If it is, then they need to learn about life outside these walls. People do what they have to do to-"

"No, no, it's not that," he interrupted. "She's been feeling unwell, so we took her to see Dr. Barrow. It... Well, we think that she may be, well, pregnant."

"That's wonderful," I stated. "How is she taking the news? Are you guys going to go through with it? What does Carol think? Does she need any help?"

"Kid, kid, slow down. Umm, Nova's a bit stressed and overwhelmed right now. She's okay with it though. I'm not really sure if she wants to go through with it or have it terminated. Carol is happy. I guess she's always wanted to be a mom, and this is kind of her chance. I'd talk to Nova to see if she needs any help. I'm not really good with this kind of stuff."

"I have one more day here, so I'll go see if she does."

"But I thought you were supposed to be training with Charon," he said. "Why aren't you?"

"Long story short, I blew a fuse, and Mei and I made him mad," I replied.

He chuckled lightly. "Nice, kid. I'm surprised you two are still in one piece."

"I gave him one order, and that was freedom of speech and actions, but he is not to harm anyone unless they pose a direct threat to Mei or me," I explained. "Seems to do the trick."

"Well, just hope that one of his actions doesn't include asking for his contract," Gob warned.

"I don't think he will," I said. "I think he's too honor-bound and brainwashed to do that."

"Maybe," he replied with a shrug. "But, hey, in case I don't see you again before you leave, take care and good luck, kid."

"I will," I stated. "And good luck to you and Nova."

He nodded before we parted ways. Mei was still leaning against the balcony, but Charon was nowhere to be seen.

"Before you ask," Mei said, "He went to go clean up the mess in the Ninth Circle."

"All right, then," I replied. "I have all of the supplies needed for the trip, but I need you and to take some, and maybe Charon, if he wants."

Mei shrugged before she took about half of the added weight. I felt the pressure lift, and I felt much better.

"Would you mind if I took Charon and did a bit of exploring nearby?" Mei asked.

"I- I guess not," I replied. I wondered just what kind of exploring she wanted to do. "But ask him. I don't like feeling like it's up to me."

"Great. I'll need his contract," she said. "I'll give it back as soon as I'm done."

"I want _him_ to make the decision," I stated.

"So?"

"So, I'm sorry, but I'm not giving you the contract until he agrees."

She huffed. "What's so hard about just giving it to me? Do you not trust me or something?"

"No, it's not that," I said. "It's just that I want him to make the choice first."

"You're so inconvenient," she verbalized. "Look, even if you don't give me the contract, I'm going to leave."

"Mei, please, don't be like this," I told her.

"Like what?" she challenged.

"You're being difficult," I vocalized.

"Like you aren't?" she shot. "Just give me the contract."

"No, Mei. Not until Charon answers."

"God, Kari, stop being so stubborn. He's a killing machine. He's not _supposed_ to want to do anything other than what his master tells him to."

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. Look, just talk to him. If he agrees, I'll give it to you, no questions asked."

She scowled before whipping around and heading to the Ninth Circle. Couldn't she see just how wrong ordering someone around was, like they were some kind of slave? I know I wouldn't particularly enjoy it. Do unto others as you do to others what you would like to be done to you. The Golden Rule. Dad tried to drill it into our heads, but it didn't really stick in Mei's. I think it was because she was the independent one while I was always dependent on others. She didn't give a crap about anyone else, either, and she still didn't.

Mei came back with a smirk on her face, Charon following in tow. He had blood smeared on his armor, probably from Ahzrukhal. I didn't really realize what I was doing until Mei cleared her throat. I had unconsciously begun to try to wipe the blood off. I muttered an apology.

"So, you've decided that you want to explore with Mei?" I said, but it was more of a statement than a question. He nodded regardless.

I sighed and pulled out the piece of paper that Mei had wanted so bad. "Be careful, you two."

"Yeah, yeah. Woulda been a lot faster to just give me the contract," she mumbled.

"Mei, you know my reasons for being so hesitant, and I stand firmly by them."

"Whatever," she muttered before beginning to walk away. "Come on, Charon."

"Yes, Mistress."

I noticed the blank look that he had when he took an order. It was like he was on autopilot, and it was kind of... unnatural, almost disturbing, as though he wasn't there. I knew that he would be able to keep Mei safe, but I couldn't help but worry what kind of trouble they would get into.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I didn't really understand why Kari was being so difficult. It was just a piece of paper. Sure, it happened to have complete control to an automated killing machine, but I needed him. I needed to get out, and I needed someone to cover me. Kari didn't like killing as much as I did, and Gob said something about Nova being pregnant. I guessed that Kari would want to help with that. She didn't have to be so stubborn about it, though. He was just a programmed murdering mechanism. He was by far the best shot I had seen out in the wastes, and I was glad he was on our side, even if he had almost tortured Kari into insanity with his, "Training."

Being cooped up inside was not going well with me, and I was about to snap. I had to see the sun, and I guess I didn't realize just how much I needed it until I left the Vault. Dad leaving was probably one of the best things that had ever happened to me, but not for Kari. She was determined to find him, even if it turned out that he was dead. She was getting too clingy, something that Dad was for back in the Vault, and that was probably another reason that I needed to get out. I wondered if she even realized just _how_ much she would cling to people.

I spotted a couple of Mutants up in the distance and held my gun at the ready. Charon also had his shotgun loaded. I activated V.A.T.S. to see how much of a chance I had at hitting them. I had a pretty high chance, so I took it. We weren't detected yet when my first shots hit the target. He turned towards us, blood flowing out of the bullet holes in his arm and head. He pulled the hunting rifle off of his back and aimed. Suddenly, his head exploded. I hadn't noticed, but Charon had managed to sneak up to them and land a bullet in the mutie's skull. The other one was being blown to bits by the time that he noticed what was going on. I had a sick sort of satisfaction as the second one fell, his arm lying on the ground next to him and blood flowing out of the hole where it should have been.

We wondered for a while, about an hour, according to my pip-boy. We had killed many mutants and I had added more places to my map before Charon spoke up.

"Mistress, permission to ask a question."

"Yeah, yeah, what is it?" I had to admit, I kind of liked it when he called me "Mistress."

"Do you have a specific location in mind, or are we wandering aimlessly?"

"I'm going to go with wandering aimlessly," I stated. "I feel too trapped inside. I think Kari called it being claustrophobic or something."

"Claustrophobia is the fear of being closed in with no escape, and, in severe cases it can result in some sort of panic attack. In minor cases, restlessness," he stated.

Great. I was surrounded by a bunch of walking encyclopedias. I sighed as we pressed on, looking for more Super Mutants to kill. Not only did the killing make me feel better, but it also made me a better shot without V.A.T.S.

I spotted a building that looked pretty intact up ahead. I asked Charon if it really was as stable is it looked. He nodded, and I decided to go in, Charon right behind. It was dark, and I could hear something moving around, so I ducked down and carefully and quietly went through the hallway. Up ahead, I could spot the faint outline of a few mutants up ahead. I turned to Charon, who nodded. In the silence, the sound of his shotgun was deafening. Even I jumped, and I was expecting it. A Super Mutant down the hall groaned in pain before more of our shots rang out. I was covered in blood in the small corner, but I didn't care. I kind of liked it.

I froze when I saw a weird creature up ahead. I don't really know _what _it was, but it was disturbing. It looked like a horribly mutated person, but it had arms sticking out of various places, and its tongue was horribly mutated, sticking out a few feet, split into three parts. It shot weird blobs of... well, I don't really know what it was, but it was brown and it burned like hell. The stuff covered my right leg, and I fell to the ground, my Geiger counter ticking away. The burning sensation overtook my senses, leaving me incapable of anything. I couldn't see or hear anything, except the sounding of Charon's shotgun and the muffled cries from the weird creature as it died.

I was vaguely aware of being picked up and carried, but the pain in my leg was blinding. I'm pretty sure it was Charon, though, because if it was a Super Mutant, I'm pretty sure I would have been dead.

I think I passed out, because the next thing I knew, I was in water. I could vaguely make out the form of someone holding me in the water, and the radiation made my skin tingle. As my vision became clearer, I saw that I was in the river, about waist-deep, according to Charon's body. The cool water felt good on my leg, though. It washed whatever the acid-stuff was away, but my leg was still burned a bit.

I was lifted out of the water, and Charon placed me down on the shore. My pant leg was gone, and so was a lot of the skin. It bled a lot, and I felt kind of woozy.

"Ch-Charon," I called out. "What's going to happen to it?"

He grunted, but made no other reply than that. I felt a sting in my leg before the pain numbed. Med-x. He tore off my other leg of my jumpsuit and tightly wrapped it around my injury. The blood soaked through a bit, but it seemed to slow down a lot.

"Charon, what was that... that _thing_," I asked.

"Centaur," he stated.

"And the stuff it shot out?"

"It's saliva," he replied. "Very acidic and full of radiation."

I was grossed out. That brown stuff was spit. Ew.

"We need to hurry back," he said. "We may run in to more hostile creatures."

I nodded, and he picked me back up, trying not to injure me further.

"Charon, will I be able to walk soon?" I asked.

"No."

"Oh. Well, will I _ever_ be able to walk?"

"Probably, but we need to have someone else take care of it. I am not a medical expert, but I know it is prone to infection."

I sighed. Me and my stupid ideas. Kari would probably be mad at me, but knowing her, she would forgive me pretty quickly. She wasn't one to hold grudges.

The sun was rising just above the horizon by the time Charon and I had reached the entrance to the museum. Kari was standing just outside the door, and Willow patrolled the area. Upon sight, Kari ran up to us. She reeked of vomit, and she looked like she and Super Mutant got into a hand-to-hand fight. She looked like she was about to throw up, as worried as I could tell she was.

"What happened?" she questioned, concern laced throughout her voice.

"I was just about to ask the same question to you," I stated. "Just ran into a... what was it called, again?"

"Centaur," Charon said.

"Yeah. One of those. Shot spit at me. It was pretty cool, but nasty. Charon patched me up, though I can't walk. Anyway, what happened to you?"

"Just... helping out Nova," she said with a dismissing wave of her hand. "Come on, let's get you fixed up."

I sighed and relaxed completely in Charon's arms dramatically.

"If we must."

Kari giggled for a second before replying, "Yes, my dear. It is for the best."

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I was mad at Mei for acting and saying the things she did, but I couldn't blame her. She was a bit claustrophobic, but most people have some various degree of it. I knew she would be fine. She had Charon with her, but I was still worried about her. I sighed and took my mind off of it by walking to Carol's Place. I would see in Nova needed any help. I found her sitting on the edge of Carol and Greta's bed. She looked rather depressed and lonely. Carol was busy with a group of ghouls who had made their way into the Underworld, and Greta was off serving drinks.

"Hey, sugar," she greeted, but not in her normally welcoming voice.

"Nova, what's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm pregnant," she stated. "I guessed it would happen sooner or later in my line of work. It finally did."

"Well, is there anything I could do to help?" I asked.

"Actually, I've been craving snack cakes," she replied. "If you would be a dear and go get some for me..."

"No problem," I said. "Be right back."

I went and found Greta about ready to take a break. She told me to help myself to whatever I needed, and that it was all located in the cabinet near the bed. I nodded and went to get some for Nova.

"Thanks, hon," she said as I handed her a box of Fancy Lads Snack Cakes. "I haven't had these since I was a little girl... Moriarty told me I needed to watch my figure. Said I'd drive customers away if I didn't. I kind of knew that I was pregnant before I left... I was getting sick every other morning, I had weird cravings, I was starting to gain weight, and I even missed a month. I was worried about Moriarty finding out and firing me, so when the opportunity presented itself to run away with Gob, I took it. I wasn't sure what would happen, but I knew it would be better than staying there... I'm sorry. I must be boring you."

I shook my head. "Not really. If you need to talk, then talk. I'll keep listening."

She nodded and smiled. "If only there were more people like you in the wastes. This place would be a million times better."

"Well, I don't know about a million, but yes, I believe that it would be a better place."

"Hey, kid, you got any music on that thing?" she asked, pointing to my pip-boy.

"Yes," I replied. "Would you like to hear some?"

She nodded. "Yeah. My dad used to play old holotapes whenever things would get hard..."

"Any requests? I can see if I have them."

"One of my favorites was called, 'When You're Smiling,' by Billie Holiday. Do you have that one?"

Sure enough, it was one of the brand new ones that Quinn had dropped off, right at the top. I selected it, and it began to play. It sounded like a pretty song. Nova smiled softly as she lay back on the bed. I noticed a small bit of pudge on her stomach, which I assumed was the baby.

"My dad used to play this song all the time right after Mom died," she stated. "He kept trying to cheer me up, but I could tell he was worse than I was. Dad was heartbroken and alone. He tried to hide it from me, but I could tell. One day, the Raiders attacked. My dad forced me into a hidden room in our house. I could hear gunshots, but I was too petrified to move. I heard them ransacking our house, but I was so scared, and I knew Dad was dead. I was an orphan, like pretty much everyone in the world. I fled once the Raiders had left, and went to Megaton... The only person who gave me the time of day was Gob, who set me up with Moriarty. I was ten at the time and scared out of my wits..."

Nova sighed and apologized again for ranting like she did.

"Like I said, if you need to talk, then do it," I replied.

The song ended, and she asked me to play it again. I did, but she didn't look to good.

"Well, now that you know my full story, what about you? How did you get here?"

"My story? Well, I was born out here in the wastes, like everyone else. My mom died giving birth to Mei and me, and my dad left whatever life he had out here, apparently, and went to the Vault. He somehow managed to get into the Vault and we grew up there. When we turned nineteen, gosh, not even two weeks ago, our dad left the Vault. I don't really know how or why, but he did. The Overseer kind of lost it and sent his guards after us, but Amata, our friend since arrival and the Overseer's daughter, tipped us off, and we escaped, but we had to kill a security guard who tried to kill us. It was my... my first real kill. I saw the... the light, I guess you could say, leave his eyes. I felt sick, and wanted to throw up, but I couldn't. I had to leave. Mei and I left the Vault through the Overseer's office, and we just sorta wound up in an ongoing search for our Dad. We plan on leaving tomorrow morning for Rivet City to find him. I just hope that he's still there and alive."

Nova looked a lot paler than before, and she had a light shade of green about her.

"Nova, do you want me to fetch-"

It was too late. Whatever Nova had eaten was splurged back up and onto our laps. I was grossed out, and Nova looked even worse.

"Let me go and change, then I'll bring you a bucket," I said.

"I'm so sorry, sugar," she stuttered. "I... I'm not-"

"It's okay," I cut her off. "I'll be right back. I'll get Carol on the mess."

Carol had come over without any notice or prompting and began to clean up the mess while I went to change. Once in the bathroom, I took the old jumpsuit off and set it in the tub, rinsing it off with cold, irradiated water. I scrubbed it down with Abraxo cleaner, thankful that _some_ kind of detergent survived the nuclear war. When it was fairly decent, I put it in my pip-boy to dry. The clean one I put on was a lot better, but it was a bit too big. I spotted Winthrop walking out of Tulip's shop and ran up to him.

"You wouldn't happen to have a spare bucket, would you?" I asked.

"Why?" he inquired.

"Someone is sick, and it would be a lot better if we had one," I replied. "Please?"

"Sure kid, wait here," he said.

A moment later, he came back with one in hand.

"Thanks," I said before rushing back to Nova.

I handed her the bucket just in time for her to do it again. I rubbed her back while she did so. When I was sick back in the Vault, Dad would always do that, and it made me feel better. When she was done for the moment, I took her down to the bathroom, as people were beginning to leave or stop and stare, and I knew that wasn't good for Nova's esteem.

I washed out the bucket while she stayed in the stall. I would have to return the bucket later. For the time being, Nova needed me. I played pre-war music on my pip-boy to try to take her mind off of being sick.

"Thanks for doing this, hon," she said, "But I think I've got it from here. I'm feeling a lot better."

Without a word, I pulled out one of my water bottles and handed it to her. She rinsed her mouth out with it before swallowing the rest.

"Is there anything else that you need?" I asked.

"I... Well, I could use a hand getting back upstairs," she stated.

"No problem."

With my help, Nova had made it back up the stairs and into Carol's Place. She fell asleep almost as soon as she hit the bed, and I set the bucket down on the stand next to her in case she needed it.

I sighed and checked my pip-boy. It was nearing ten, and Charon and Mei weren't back yet. She had said only a couple of hours, and it was nearing eight since she had left. I was worried so I asked Carol if she had seen them arrive. When she said no, my concern grew. I decided to go and ask Willow.

"Sorry, tourist," she said. "Haven't seen the two since they left, but I'll send word if I do."

"I think I'll wait out here for a bit," I replied. "It's kind of nice out tonight."

"Suit yourself," she mumbled before resuming her patrol.

I sat on the wall just above the metro station, keeping an eye out for Charon and Mei. I prayed that they were okay, and that they would return shortly. I wanted to go after them, but I was exhausted and a poor shot, not to mention the fact that I had no idea where they went or the fact that it was night and I didn't know the area well. It was also crawling with Super Mutants and other hostile, mutated creatures.

* * *

~Willow's POV~

The tourist looked like a loyal puppy awaiting the return of her master the way she sat there, eyes glistening as she stared out into the wastes. I kind of pitied her. The chances of the two making their way back in one piece, let alone back at all, were pretty slim. For her sake, I hoped they did. The one that was once blond was rather rude and had a violent air about her. I didn't trust her, even though she gave me no reason to not trust her.

The kid looked like she was about to fall asleep as she sat on the edge of the wall, and if she did, she would most likely fall. I warned her, and she took my advice and sat on the ground. Not much after that, she fell asleep. She looked peaceful, the worry and concern that had been there during the time she was conscious ebbed away, but were somehow still present. She really cared for them, and I could tell. She shivered in the cool night air as the blanket that she had pulled out of that contraption of hers fell off. I picked it back up and shook it of before I draped it back over her. She may not realize it, but her presence made quite the impact on the ghouls in Underworld. She didn't judge them, or give them looks of disgust like every other smoothskin that passes through there. She treated them, us, like normal human beings, which is all we really want. Her twin didn't really deserve her, but they stuck together none the less.

It wasn't until the sun began to rise that I spotted a figure off in the distance. I woke the kid. It was only one figure, and the person may have been dangerous. She backed up to the door and watched, hoping that it was either her sister or body guard.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

When Willow woke me up, I hoped that my sister and Charon had finally returned, but she told me to get inside. Instead, I stood by the door, hopeful that it was them. As the person approached, I could tell it was Charon, and he was carrying Mei. I was very worried, and I felt slightly sick to my stomach. It didn't look to good as they approached, and I ran to meet them.

"What happened?" I inquired.

"I was just about to ask the same question to you," she replied, her voice rather weak and distant. "Just ran into a... What was it called, again?"

"Centaur," Charon said.

"Yeah. One of those. Shot spit at me. It was pretty cool, but nasty. Charon patched me up, though I can't walk. Anyway, what happened to you?"

"Just... helping out Nova," I dismissed. "Come on, let's get you fixed up."

She sighed and relaxed completely in Charon's arms dramatically.

"If we must."

It seemed that she was back to her old self, and I couldn't help but laugh and play along. "Yes, my dear. It is for the best."

* * *

After Notes:

Well, I got another chapter up, but I can't guarantee that it's perfect. I checked it a few times and couldn't find anything wrong with it.

After tonight, there probably won't be any updates until some time next week. I've got drumline tomorrow and Saturday, I have to do a chemistry formal lab report due Monday that I haven't finished, I have a Spanish project that still needs finished that is also due Monday, I have band practice and drumline on Tuesday, sectionals for my horn on Wednesday, drumline practice again on Thursday, and a competition for concert band on Friday. I may be able to find time to update, but I'm pretty booked. Thanks to the people who reviewed and the people that are reading this. Feel free to drop me a review or PM and let me know what you think. :)

Much appreciated, HikariMei. :)


	7. Chapter 7: Rivet City

Chapter 7: Rivet City

Well, Mei's leg seemed to be getting better, which was more than we could ask for. When I first saw the extent of the damage, I was horrified, but Doctor Barrows was probably the best doctor the wasteland had to offer. He had more years of experience than anyone since he was a ghoul. I watched as he tended to Mei's leg. Most of the flesh was burned off, and the skin probably wasn't going to grow back. The doctor said that it would probably be like a ghoul's would because of the radiation from the Centaur's attack; the muscle would harden up, and the skin around it would flake off. Other than that, there would probably be no other damage. He told her to stay off of it for about a week, and to see him when the week was up.

If that was the case, I'd have to find a job to get more caps. We were down to 52, and we couldn't live for a week on it. I knew that the venting system needed work, and Winthrop was overloaded. Maybe I could talk to him about helping out. Hopefully, he'd give me enough caps to get by this week.

Once Mei was in bed, I headed off to find Winthrop. As usual, he was working on one of the many vents that needed repairs.

"What's up, kid?" he greeted.

"I was just wondering if you needed any help," I stated. "I sometimes worked on things like this back in the Vault, and I repaired some pipes back in Megaton."

"Actually, I think there is," he stated. "I can spare about fifty caps for each job if you're interested."

I nodded.

"Great. I've been getting complaints about some disgusting smells coming from one of the vents," he stated. "I think something may have crawled in there and died, but I can't fit. I believe that you would be able to. If you can remove and dispose of it, I'll pay you fifty caps."

"Deal."

"Good. I think it's coming from the vent up where Snowflake is," he stated. "Just climb on in and check it out."

I nodded before Charon followed me up to the said vent. Snowflake pestered me about owing him money. That's when I remembered that Mei had said something about buying stuff off of him. I sighed and gave him fifty. That left me with two caps. Great...

Charon gave me the needed boost to get up in the vent. It was kind of cramped and it smelled terribly, but I managed to crawl though until I came to a turn. The smell was growing stronger with each second that I moved forward. When I came to a sharp turn, I was faced to face with a decaying mole rat. Its smell made me want to hurl, but I suppressed the urge and began to drag its corpse backwards out of the vent. The sooner I got out, the better.

"Charon, I'm coming back out!" I shouted. "I've got the corpse, so be ready!"

I felt my feet hit nothing but air as I backed out. I felt Charon's hand brush my leg, letting me know he was there to catch me. I dragged the dead mole rat out, and it fell to the floor as Charon wrapped his arms around me, preventing me from hitting the stone floor.

"Thanks," I muttered as he set me down and picked up the mole rat.

He carried it out of Underworld and walked a distance away before dropping it. He then returned to my side as we re-entered the museum to find Winthrop.

"Good work, kid," he said. "Here are your caps. Now, I have another vent that needs fixing. I've determined that it's leaking air somewhere, but I don't know where inside. I need you to go in and fix it. You up for it?"

"Just tell me which one and I'll go fix it."

"Okay. I've got electrical tape that can be used on it," he stated. "It's the one up in Carol's Place, and Greta's been on me about fixing it, saying that it gets too hot in the day and too cold at night. I love her, but I'd love to not hear her complain."

That did explain things a bit. "I'm on it."

I took the roll of tape and went up to Carol's Place.

"Oh, hello," Carol greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm here to fix the vent," I replied, twirling the roll of tape on my finger.

"Oh, that's wonderful," she said. "It's always either too hot or too cold in here."

Charon gave me another boost up into the vent. This one was about the same height and width, but there was relatively no air coming through. That meant that either the generator was broken, or there were holes that needed to be patched up. As I crawled through, I could hear the air whistling up ahead. I turned my pip-boy light on so I could spot them easier. There were a few holes here and there, but nothing big, and I couldn't feel much of a breeze. I patched them up, none the less. I pressed on, though. The sound was getting louder and louder as I went on. Soon, I came to a portion of vent that was disconnected. It probably needed to be welded, but all I had was tape. I did my best to bend the section that was lowered and tape it into place, but it would only hold for so long. I'd have to speak to Winthrop about that.

When I was sure it would hold up for a while, I headed back to see the said ghoul. He was messing around with a generator in one of the back rooms.

"I take it you got it up and running?" he questioned.

"Somewhat," I replied. "I think it needs to be welded. A section is disconnected, and tape can only do so much."

"I'll see if I can't send someone else up, then," he said. "Now, I have one more task if you're interested."

"Sure," I replied. "What is it?"

"Well, I think this one is on fire," he stated.

"Fire?"

"Yes, fire, you know? Bright, hot, usually yellow, red, and orange," he said with a teasing smile.

"Yeah, I know what fire is," I replied. "How is it on fire?"

"Dunno. That's why I need you to go check it out. I've got a pre-war fire extinguisher, and I'd like you to go put it out."

"Okay. Which one is this one?"

"It's in the upper hallway outside the Ninth Circle," he stated. "But be careful. Fire can be dangerous in confined spaces."

"Will do," I replied as he handed me the faded red canister. "Come on, Charon. I'm gonna need another boost up."

He grumbled, but followed me up the stairs. I knew he was probably still mad at me, but he would get over it.

Once inside the vent, I could feel unusual heat coming from deeper inside. I held the fire extinguisher at the ready. The light inside the tunnel grew brighter and brighter. Soon, it was a burning luminescence that was like staring into the sun, but it felt a lot hotter. I shot the white foam ahead at the blaze, and it seemed to calm down. Deeper into the vent, I heard scuttling. Something was moving up ahead. It was coming towards me, and I didn't want to deal with anything without my weapon. I backed out as quickly as I could, but my eye soon caught something moving towards me. I hurried, but it was getting closer and closer. That's when I saw what it was: a giant, mutated ant. I shot the extinguisher at it, and it clacked and backed away, shooting bright, glowing embers around. I was shocked. I knew that things had been greatly mutated, but never to that extent.

"Charon!" I shouted. "I'm getting out, but I need your shotgun!"

I slid back out, and Charon caught me.

"Why can you not use your assault rifle?" he questioned.

"Because I don't have time to go retrieve it from my room!" I shot. "Hurry, just give it to me and lift me back up!"

He was a bit... doubtful, for lack of a better word, but he lifted me in none the less. I carefully aimed at the creature that spewed flames before I let loose the shot within. I wasn't prepared for the kickback of the gun, and it jarred my shoulder. With a lot of clacking and flame-spewing, the creature went limp and held still.

"Charon, I'm coming back out, but this thing made more flames, so I'll need one more lift up," I said.

I dropped down once more and gave Charon his shotgun back before I took the canister back up and put out the flames. I decided to go look and see if there were any more fire-breathing ants, but all I found were more flames and some residue that burned when my bare skin touched it. I used the extinguisher on my exposed skin. It stung horribly, but the burning stopped. Once I was satisfied, I backed out of the vent.

"Thanks," I muttered to Charon before we went back to find Winthrop.

I handed the pre-war fire extinguisher back to him, and he handed me the caps. That brought me up to 152 caps total. We would be able to eat for that much until Mei was able to travel.

"There may be more fire later," I warned him. "There was a fire-breathing ant up there, but I killed it. There may still be more, though."

He nodded. "I appreciate it, kid. You're the only one that can actually fit in there."

Now that I thought about it, I kind of was pretty small compared to everyone else. Back in the Vault, the only people bigger than Mei and I were the Tunnel Snakes. Everyone else was even smaller than we were. I shrugged it off.

"No problem," I replied. "If you need any more help, don't hesitate to ask."

He nodded, and I went back up to Carol's Place to see Mei, Charon in tow.

"Finally, someone to talk to other than Patchwork," Mei said as we entered. "That drunk has been pestering me all day. He's lost so many body parts, and he can't even form a sentence without having to repeat himself! I swear, if I have to listen to him ramble on about how he lost his finger last night, I'm going to go insane!"

I chuckled a bit. "Glad to see you're getting better."

"Yeah, yeah," she snapped. "What were you doing all morning, anyway?"

"Well, I was crawling around in the vents, fixing different things for caps," I replied.

"Lucky," she said. "You get to go crawl around in old vents like the ninjas from the pre-war movie and I'm the one stuck in bed all day..."

"I bruised my shoulder pretty bad, though," I added. "Charon, your shotgun has _some _kickback."

"It has been adjusted to what I can handle, that is why I was hesitant to give it to you," he stated.

"You're hesitating," I repeated. "Good. That means you are slowly breaking away from the hold that your contract has over you."

He stared at me, a weird expression across his face. I couldn't quite place it though. Almost... surprised? No... Shocked? Happy? No. I didn't know what it was.

"Anyway, Doc gave me another shot of Med-X about an hour ago," Mei said with a yawn. "That stuff's pretty amazing."

"Just be careful," I warned. "It can be very addicting."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Kari."

I could tell that the rest of the week was going to be rather torturous for poor Mei.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

It was pure torture just lying in bed for a week. Kari managed to scrape up enough caps for us to survive for the time, but I was itching to get out and _do something_. I felt so useless, just sitting there all day. So, when Doc gave me the okay to leave, he bandaged up my leg and I was out. Kari and Charon were right behind me. It hurt to put pressure on it, but I was able to ignore it and head to Rivet City. Our trip was pretty uneventful, only coming across a couple Raiders, some feral ghouls, a radroach or two, and the occasional Super Mutant.

To save us food, Charon cooked some of the dead radroaches for lunch. It was nasty and chewy, but hey, when you're desperate, you'll eat just about anything. By nightfall, we had reached Rivet City. Some jerk named Harkness questioned us at the bridge, not letting us in until we stated why we had come. He let us after a while, but he was still pretty rude to us. I disliked him from then on.

A rather nice young guy pointed us in the right direction towards the science lab. I think he said his name was Diego, but I don't really remember. Everyone stared at us and Charon, but I brushed it off. Inside the labs were a bunch of people in white coats. They poked and prodded different objects with funny looking objects, then wrote stuff down on a clipboard. Kari would know more about the stuff that was going on than I would. Eventually, a woman came up to us.

"How many times do I have to tell you people, this place is off..." she paused. "Oh my gosh. It's... It's you two. You're James' daughters, aren't you?"

"Yes," Kari replied, as though she was a puppy eager to please its master. "Is he here?"

"No," the scientist stated. "He left a few days ago. But what are you two doing here? James said he left you two in the Vault."

"Too bad he didn't realize that they would try to kill us," I sarcastically said.

"Where can we find him?" Kari asked.

"Well, he headed up to the Jefferson Memorial," she responded. "He just showed up out of nowhere, trying to resurrect Project Purity, claiming that he knew how to make it work, but it died along with your mother."

"What's Project Purity?" Kari wondered aloud.

They began to talk science, so I tuned them out. They used a lot of big words, but I caught certain words that I had heard of, like G.E.C.K. Dad used to mumble about it in his sleep before we left the Vault.

Eventually, they began to move on to other subjects, such as the death of Mom and how Project Purity ended. She blamed us, though she never actually said it out loud. I sighed.

"Okay," I interrupted, "I'm going to find a place to relax while you two do your science talk. Can I have some caps?"

Kari nodded and handed me twenty.

"We've only got a few left, so try not to spend it all," she stated. "And try to find a job while you're out so we can get some more caps."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Charon, please go with her," Kari said. "Keep her out of trouble, please."

The giant ghoul nodded and followed me out. I was kind of mad at Kari. The way she said what she did... It made it seem as though she didn't trust me. The towering ghoul's steps were surprisingly light, probably even more than mine. I saw a guy that looked pretty tripped out up ahead, but I didn't want Charon overhearing me asking him where to get a drink.

"Charon, I can handle myself," I stated. "You should go... protect Kari or something. She's more vulnerable than I am."

"Miss Hikari told me to watch you," he said. "I will not disobey her."

"Yeah, but it wasn't an order. Go... explore or something, then. I'm sure you can handle yourself, and I can keep myself out of trouble."

"I was told to watch you," he insisted. "I am not to disobey any request of my master or mistress."

I growled in frustration. I wanted to go drink, but I knew Charon wouldn't let me. Maybe I could lose him if I wandered around enough and went fast enough. Yes, the idea sounded like a good one. I took off running down the hallway, went down the stairs and into another hallway. I could hear Charon running behind me. It made me run faster, bumping into rather disgruntled people. At the end of the hallway was a set of stairs, which I flew down and I threw the door open, slamming it shut behind me. I was in some kind of market, and I flew into the mess of people.

When I looked back I saw a couple security officers restraining Charon for, "Disturbing the Peace." I snickered and wandered around for a bit, looking for a place that I'd be able to get some kind of drink. I spotted a place called Gary's Gallery and walked up to it.

"Can I help you?" a girl with pinned-up blonde hair asked.

"I need a drink."

"Please, take a seat and I'll be right with you," she replied.

I did as she told me to, sitting right at the counter. Not a moment later, I saw that guy, Harkness. He walked up to me, looking pretty official.

"I'm afraid I need you to come with me," he stated.

"Well, I'm sorry," I replied. "There's no way I am."

He pulled some weird, yet cool gun out and pointed it at me.

"You _will_ come with me," he repeated. "Don't make me use this on you."

I glared at him, and he smirked at me. I stood up, and he used some rope to restrain my hands. Like he needed to. He led me to a room where Charon and Kari were already waiting.

"You three have caused nothing but trouble since arriving here," he said. "I have half a mind to throw you all out of the nearest porthole, but I was asked by Dr. Li _not_ to. Said something about being 'Important to the Project,' so you will not, but one more shenanigan, and you three _will_ be thrown out. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Kari replied. "I can assure you, nothing like this will occur again."

"Good, now get out," he spat.

I glared at him, then Charon and Kari, all of which returned the look.

"Mei, why did you do that?" Kari questioned. "That was irresponsible, and exactly why I had Charon go with you!"

"I can handle myself, Kari," I argued. "I don't need that _thing_ following me."

I felt something come in contact with my jaw, and it took me a moment to realize that Kari had just punched me. She was pretty frightening when provoked, but I had never been on the receiving end of her wrath. I stepped back out of shock. She was shooting daggers with her eyes, and if looks could kill, I'd be dead.

"You will _not_ refer to Charon as a thing," she shot, her voice low. "He is just as human as us, and I will not stand by while you speak to him that way."

"Kari, in case you haven't noticed, all he does is kill and follow orders. I hardly call that, 'Human.' You say that you don't want to treat him like a slave, but all he _does_ is follow orders!" I shouted back. "You need to open your eyes more! That's all he's good for!"

"Shut up!" Kari yelled. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I will not have you stop me from trying to help him! He is fully human, he only needs help!"

"Kari, just open your eyes! Do you not see the blank look when you ask him to do something? It's like he's an android!"

"Excuse me," a man in a suit interrupted. "But did you say something about an android?"

"I was saying how Charon here always acts like he _is_ one," I stated, my eyes not leaving Kari.

"Oh. Well, I own a company up in the commonwealth, and we believe that one of our androids is here," he continued. "You will be handsomely rewarded if you can find him for me."

"How much are we talking?" I questioned, turning my attention to him.

"200 caps. Not to mention some of the most advanced technology that I have at my disposal," he stated. "Here, I have found these holotapes. See if they can't lead you in the right direction."

I nodded and took them, storing them in my pip-boy. He and his bodyguard turned to leave. Once Kari had calmed down, we found a quiet place to listen to them.

_"Zimmer. By the time you get this message, I'll already be gone. I'm escaping the Commonwealth. I want to live my own life, on my own terms, as my own man._

_I know what you're thinking, that I'm malfunctioning. I used to think that's what caused the runaways, too. But, I know better, now. Self-determination is NOT a malfunction. I'm just not willing to put up with all the bullshit anymore. You humans are going to have a full-fledged rebellion on your hands if you don't start treating us synths as full-fledged persons._

_I know you'll be marshaling the Retention Bureau to come after me. But I know all the tricks of the trade. You won't be finding me. I assure you."_

"Mei, I don't know if this is such a good idea," Kari whispered. "This guy doesn't want to be found. Maybe we should just leave him be. Besides, I don't trust this Zimmer guy."

I shushed her before playing the next one.

_"If you're listening to this recording, it is because you're believed to be trustworthy. I hope that is the case, because this recording puts us both in danger. I'm escaping from the Commonwealth. I'm an android, a synthetic man... a slave. The men hunting me are ruthless and will stop at nothing to retrieve their property. I need to find a doctor in the Wasteland to perform facial reconstruction. I also need someone who knows a great deal about computers. I need... I need to have my memories erased and my face altered to look like someone else."_

I was about to play the next one, but Kari stopped me.

"Mei, this isn't right," she said. "This man just wants to live a normal life. We should let him."

"This isn't some human," I replied. "It's some robot that escaped and has become delusional. It'll all be alright."

"But he has _feelings_, Mei!" she hissed. "That's what separates him from the others."

I shook her hand off and played the next one.

_"Despite the harshness of the Wasteland, I've discovered in more than a few here, a compassion that is unheard of in the Commonwealth. Perhaps it's the daily struggle for life here which gives appreciation for life in general, whether human, or android. In a few days I'll be a free man... a new man. Let me say thank you now, for referring me to Pinkerton at Rivet City, because I will not remember any of this soon."_

Perfect. Now all I had to do was locate Pinkerton and ask him where the android was. I'd have to talk to someone where I could find him.

"Come on, Kari," I said, standing up. "Time to investigate."

"No."

"What? Why not?"

"I don't want any part of this," she replied. "This man deserves to be free. Besides, we don't know who he is, what he looks like, or anything!"

"That's why we need to find this Pinkerton person. He can tell us who it is."

She bit her lower lip before sighing. "Fine, but I still think we should leave this whole mess be."

"Now come on. We have to find this Pinkerton person."

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I didn't like this. Not one bit. Whoever the android was, they just wanted to be left alone and to forget their past. We should honor him, but Mei heard, "Caps," and was instantly sold. The wastes really were changing her. Slowly, but surely, and not for the better.

Every time we asked someone about Pinkerton, they would claim that they didn't know. Vera, the owner of Weatherly Hotel, suggested that we go Dr. Li. She was a brilliant scientist, but not exactly the friendliest, and I could tell that she didn't like Mei or me.

"Dr. Pinkerton," she said with disgust. "Now there's a name I haven't heard in a long time..."

"Look, we just want to know where we can find him," Mei stated. "Do you know where he is?"

"Yeah, I believe he is now residing in the broken bow of the ship. You can access it from outside," she replied. "Now please, leave. I have a lot of work to be done."

I nodded and the three of us exited Rivet City. The whole bow seemed to be surrounded by water, and Mei and I had never swum before. Off in the distance, I swear I saw a walkway. I pointed it out to the others, and we decided to go check it out. Upon walking up to it, we saw a door at the end of it. It was locked, so Mei began to work on it. After a couple of curses and a few broken bobby pins, the door sprang open and we entered. Charon and Mei made quick work of the Mirelurks, but I paused in front of the door.

"Do you smell that?" I questioned.

Mei sniffed before she shrugged. "Nope."

Charon nodded. "Natural gas."

"Be careful, and try not to fire throughout here," I said. "It may set it off and we'd all burn to death."

Mei made the acknowledgment before we entered the room. Charon stopped us and messed with a nearly invisible trip rope. It seemed that someone didn't want anyone getting through. There were a couple of mines, an exploding terminal, and a couple rigged shotguns that Charon pulled us out of the way of, and it made me glad that Mei had stolen his contract. We'd probably be long dead before this incident. I thanked him each time, but Mei shrugged it off. I wished she would show more kindness to him.

Eventually, we reached a room filled with a bunch of medical and scientific equipment. I jumped when a man from upstairs shouted at us.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded. "And what are you doing in my lab?"

"I-I'm Hikari," I stated. "And this is my sister, Mei, and our mercenary, Charon."

"Well, you three got in here on your own, so you can't be that stupid," he said. "Why are you here?"

"We're here about some memory and face job you did on an android," Mei replied.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

"You know, it'd be a lot better if you told us the truth," Mei threatened.

"Fine. A3-21 came in here. He wanted a different face and to have his memory erased," he stated. "Relatively easy, not that Dr. Li could do it, the-"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it. You and Dr. Li don't like each other. What about the robot? What happened?" Mei interrupted.

"Well excuse me," he spat. "She only destroyed my life, is all. Anyway, I was successful. A3-21 has no idea who he is or anything."

"Who is he?" Mei asked. "And how can he remember?"

"Mei, if someone has had their memories erased, they won't be able to remember," I told her.

"Well, I didn't actually erase them, per say," Pinkerton admitted. "I just... buried them. He is now a man known as Harkness. If you want to make him remember, just use the activation code, 'Activate A3-21 Recall Code Violet.' That should awaken his old memories. Here, I also have an audio testimony and some pictures from before and after."

Mei snatched them up and played the holotape from her pip-boy.

"Thank you," I said. "Now, we must be going."

"Sure, just go now."

Mei, Charon and I made our way back up into Rivet City. As usual, Harkness was outside Flak 'N Shrapnel's. I begged for Mei to just leave him be, but she ignored me and walked right up to him.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"You don't even realize that you're a robot, do you?" Mei commented snidely.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," she continued.

"Mei, don't-" I implored.

"No," she said. "He deserves to know the truth."

"What are you two going on about? I am not a robot."

"Sure you are," she stated. "I've got a holotape and before and after pics."

"This... this is very convincing evidence, but how can this be? I'm not an android, I'm human! I breathe, I eat, hell, even cut myself shaving this morning!"

"It's synthetic blood," Mei said

"Mei, please-"

"Kari, stop," she interrupted. "It's the only way for you to fully remember. Activate A3-21 Recall Code Violet."

Harkness groaned and began to fall forward. I pushed passed Mei, catching him before he completely fell.

"A-are you all right?" I asked. "What happened?"

"God, I-I remember everything," he whispered. "The Commonwealth, the runners that I shot down. Everything... My whole life has been a lie... What am I going to do?"

"Hush," I said. "You have a life, and it is very much real. Don't worry."

He looked up at Mei, sending her an odd look. "You. You made me remember. Why?"

"You deserve to know," she said with a shrug.

"Don't worry," I whispered to him. "Your secret is safe with me, but Dr. Zimmer is here for you."

"Thank you," he said. "Here, take this, for your kindness and warning."

He thrust a weird gun into my hands. A3-21 was inscribed on the side.

"It's my old plasma rifle. It has served me well, but I have no need for it. I can show you how to work it properly some time," he offered.

"That would be wonderful."

"Come on, Kari," Mei said. "It's time we left."

Harkness stood up and helped me off the ground. I heard Charon growl behind me, and I thanked Harkness before turning to leave, storing the new rifle in my pip-boy with my other one.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I swear, Kari was way too soft. She just about coddled A3-21, telling him that he was safe. No, he was _far _from that. Dr. Zimmer would hear about this, and I would get my reward. 200 caps and the technology would be mine. I walked straight down to the science lab.

"Found your robot," I said.

"Mei, no-!"

"Kari, I said for you to shut up!"

God, didn't she know when to stop? He was a robot, for God's sake! It's not like he has any real feelings or anything.

"Did you, now?" Zimmer questioned. "Interesting."

"Yes, it's Harkness, the chief of security," I stated. "He knows who he is now, and who you are."

"Wonderful! Now as for your payment."

He took out a sack filled with caps along with a funny piece of metal. I took it and stared at it, not knowing exactly what it was or how to work it.

"That's a combat module," he stated. "It will directly affect your nervous system, so long as you have it in your possession. I think you will find it quite useful and to your liking. Now, I have some unfinished business to attend to."

Kari glared at me, and she followed Dr. Zimmer up the stairs.

"Coming to watch the show, eh?" he joked.

"Something like that," Kari muttered angrily.

We went back into the market, and A3-21 was still in front of Flak and Shrapnel's.

"There you are!" Zimmer said. "I must say, you had me completely fooled. You are very clever, A3-21, but not clever enough. Now, come with me!"

"I got sold out, eh?" A3-21 questioned. "I don't know what's going on, Zimmer. I won't let you get away with anything. What the hell are you up to?"

"You're coming back with me to the Commonwealth. You're a very important android, A3-21, very important indeed," he stated. "You're only confused. Your memories have been tampered with."

"I'm going nowhere!" A3-21 shouted, pulling out his Chinese assault rifle. "I want you off this boat, now! I'm done with you! Do you want to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

"Of course we will be doing this the easy way. I have no intention of harming you. It's time for you to bid your farewells, 'Harkness.'"

"That's it, Zimmer! You leave me no choice but to use force!"

"A3-21, initiate factory reset, authorization code-"

"No!" Kari shouted.

A resounding, "Crack!" issued throughout the room. Before I had time to process what had happened, another two shots issued out. Zimmer, his body guard, and Kari were all on the ground. Charon picked Kari up after he shouldered his shotgun. Metallic parts shout out from Zimmer and the body guard's heads. That meant... Zimmer was an android? How? It didn't make sense...

Kari looked horrified by what she had done. She had shot Zimmer. I guess his android body guard took offense, which caused Charon to take offense. The force from the gun must have knocked Kari back, so Charon took his gun back and killed the other robot. God, I was shocked. I couldn't move, let alone speak. I could only look between Kari and A3-21.

"Are you okay?" she asked A3-21.

"Yes," he replied. "Thank you."

"I apologize on my sister's behalf," she said. "I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive her."

"Already done," he stated, looking over at me. "Even if she doesn't understand that we androids have feelings and emotions as well. Now, what am I going to do with the bodies?"

"You mean, you're not going to charge me with murder?" she asked.

"No," he replied. "It was necessary and you did it to save a life."

She smiled and nodded.

"As for my thanks, I don't really have much to offer, but if you guys need a place to stay, I can pull a few strings with Vera..."

"That would be very kind," she said. "Thanks."

"No problem," he responded, returning the grin.

* * *

After Notes:

I finally found some time to get this chapter edited and uploaded. *Sigh of relief* I've actually been intensely editing chapter 10, adding another quest in there, and some character bonding.

So, my computer randomly changed some of my quotation marks to "& quot;" only without the space, but I think I got them all. That one that I just typed turned into a quotation mark, but the others didn't when I went back to check it, if that makes sense. I read through it 3 times, but I'd still like you to point out any that you may see, along with any grammar/spelling mistakes.

I'm actually not sure what to make of this chapter, to be honest. I just kinda ramble a lot, and it's more of a transitional chapter.

As always, I request that you review, just to let me know of any ideas you may have and what you think so far. I love constructive criticism, but no flames. There is a difference between the two. Flamers will promptly be removed, blocked, and/or reported. I don't even know if that's possible, but if it is, it will be done. Much appreciated, HikariMei.


	8. Chapter 8: Fire Ants and Thunderstorms

Chapter 8: Fire Ants and Thunderstorms

~Hikari's POV~

Before we left, Harkness showed me how to properly use his old plasma rifle, which Charon had told me were very powerful and pretty rare. It was relatively easy once I had grasped the concept of where everything was. He even threw in a bunch of microfusion cells to last me for the trip to the Jefferson Memorial.

I bade him farewell before our threesome left for the monument. I kind of liked Harkness, even if he was a lot older than me and an android. It didn't really faze me, but I knew that there would never really be any other relationship other than friendship.

The walk to the memorial was a shot one, taking about ten minutes, but there were a bunch of Super Mutants that surrounded the area. My new gun had been altered slightly and now had practically no kickback, which was great and made aiming a lot easier after I shot. It was also nearly twice as strong as my old gun, which I had traded for some stimpaks. We disposed of the mutants rather quickly, and we soon entered the memorial. More mutants were inside. Mei froze when we came across a disturbing creature that looked like a human with too many hands and an elongated, triply forked tongue. Charon disposed of it quickly before we pressed on. We waited for the turret up ahead to kill the mutants before I shut it down by hacking into the nearby terminal. It was pretty simple, and we were on our way further into the memorial.

Once inside the rotunda, there were only two more mutants to dispose of before we were clear to look around. I found a couple of holotapes sitting on a piece of machinery, and I played them.

_"I'm off to Vault 112 to search for anything of Braun's that might help me get this purifier up and running. All I know is that it's West of some place called 'Evergreen Mills,' and it's well hidden in some sort of garage. But I'll find it, I have to. It's so close, but that's the story of Project Purity, isn't it? An eternity of ' almost there's.' Let's see if Braun has the missing puzzle piece."_

I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed. So close. We were so close, yet so far. It seemed that each time we found our next clue; Dad was already one step ahead of us. I wanted to cry, but we had our next destination. Vault 112, wherever that was. I sighed and leaned against the wall.

"Well, now what?" Mei questioned. "We have no idea where the Vault is. Maybe we should just rest for a while?"

"Maybe, but by the time we get there, he's probably going to be one more step further," I replied. "I think we should ask around, see if anyone knows where Evergreen Mills is."

"Whatever," Mei said with a sigh. "Let's just get this over with."

"Mei, you make it sound as though you don't want to find Dad," I replied. "Is that true?"

"Maybe it is," she admitted. "I guess I'm just... frustrated. It's like he doesn't want to be found, the way things are going."

"We'll find him, Mei," I said. "I promise you, we will."

I loved Mei, and I knew she loved me, too. I didn't want her to think things like that, so even if we would never find him, I wouldn't give up hope. He had to be somewhere, and we _would _find him.

We decided to head back to Rivet City to stay another night before we went to find the garage. I decided to ask around town to see if anyone would be able to tell me where Evergreen Mills was. I spotted Harkness, and Mei said that she wanted to find a place to relax. I sighed and asked Charon to accompany her. He nodded gruffly and followed her out.

"Evergreen Mills?" Harkness questioned. "Now why would you want to go there?"

"So you know where it is?"

"Yes. Just about everyone does, but that's to avoid it," he stated.

"Well, my father is headed to some garage west of there, so I figure if I can get there, I should be able to find it fairly easy."

"You do know that area is a giant Raider's nest, right? And that they enslave people, don't you?" he questioned.

"I am aware of what Evergreen Mills is, but I still need to get there," I replied. "Are you going to show me or not?"

"You got a map?"

I nodded and brought up the one on my pip-boy. Harkness made a gesture as to where it was on the map, and I thanked him.

"You guys leaving soon?"

"Tomorrow morning," I stated. "I should probably go find Mei; you know how she is."

"Wait, do you want me to get you another room for the night from Vera?" he offered.

"That would be great. Thanks."

He smiled and nodded. As I stared into his eyes, I saw a warm glow emanating from them, quite literally. Sometimes, I forget that he's not human, but an android. Prejudice is something that I never really understood. How can people hate others just because they're different? Ghouls, especially. They are only humans who have been exposed to too much radiation and, instead of dying, their skin falls off, but they are healed by radiation. It may happen to anyone, and I hoped that karma would get whoever held on to that prejudice. I knew Mei was pretty biased, but she would get over it, or maybe she would get what was coming. Karma, as they say, is quite a bitch.

I searched everywhere for Mei, but I couldn't find her. Up ahead, I saw a guy that looked pretty drunk, or maybe high, I couldn't really tell from a distance, and approached him. I asked him where the best place to get a cheap drink was. Muddy Rudder, at the bottom of the ship was his response. I thanked him and set off, rushing down the stairs. I hoped that Mei had not decided to drink, but, sure enough, she was sitting at the bar, shooting vodka out of a shot glass. I felt my temper rise, but I swallowed it as I neared her.

"Mei, I thought we agreed no more drinking," I stated, placing my hand over hers.

"Nope," she replied. "I need a good drink right now."

That was when I noticed that Charon was nowhere to be seen.

"Mei, where's Charon?" I questioned.

"He's off looking for you," she said with a smirk, pulling her hand away and downing another shot.

"Why? What did you tell him?" I demanded.

"A3-21 is after something from you," she stated. "He was going to show you his private quarters, if you get my drift."

"Mei, how could you?"

"Pretty easily. Told him the robot wanted in your pants," she said with a shrug, having another shot. "He went into a rage and practically _flew_ out of here. Don't know where he went or anything."

"I swear, if anything bad has happened to either one of them, you are dead."

She shrugged again, calling my bluff, but I glared and rushed out of there. I had to stop Charon's rage before he did something terrible that would probably get us kicked off of the boat. Luckily, I spotted him tearing though the hall up ahead of me. I called his name, and he turned around. He rushed back over to me and roughly grabbed be my shoulders.

"Charon, what are you-?"

"You are never going to be out of my sight," he interrupted. "If that dirty android has laid a hand on you-"

"Charon, he hasn't _touched_ me, quite literally. Not without you present," I stated. "Whatever Mei told you was a lie to get you to leave. I'm fine, really."

He let me go abruptly and walked passed me, heading for the Muddy Rudder. I was glad Charon was showing emotion, but his anger was quite frightening. I grabbed hold of his arm, and he tensed up.

"I know you're mad at her, but please, don't take out your anger on her," I begged. "She's... I don't really know what is going through her head, but I need her. Please, just let her be. We leave tomorrow, whether she has a hangover or not."

He nodded and escaped my grasp.

"Harkness is getting us a room to stay in for the night," I told him. "Why don't we head to bed? I'm sure Mei can find us alright."

Charon stood up straight and stared off into the distance, which meant that he was back into his contract-bound mode.

"Thanks, Charon," I said. "I appreciate you looking out for me, even if it is because of your contract. It's comforting to have you with us."

He nodded, never looking directly at me.

"Just... try to make yourself comfortable," I told him.

Vera gave us a key to the same room that we had used the night before. I thanked her and Charon and I went into the room. I practically collapsed on the bed, exhausted from my escapades across the wasteland. Charon looked rather uncomfortable as he climbed into the bed. I guess it was kind of awkward, considering Mei was not with us, but I was too tired to care. I greedily snuggled up to Charon, soaking up his warmth. He flinched slightly, but returned to his normal facade. I fell asleep rather quickly after that, awaiting Mei's noisy return.

When she finally entered the room, it was around three in the morning. She reeked of vodka and whiskey. Boy, was she going to have a fun time in a few more hours. Something told me that Charon would not take it easy on her when it was time to leave. Mei's presence in the bed made me shiver. She had probably been wandering the ship, since she was freezing. It took me a while to fall back asleep.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

God, I had an awful headache. Every pitter-patter of people walking outside my room made me want to find a place to puke or put a bullet through my head. Better yet, their head. Charon and Kari had gotten up not too long ago and made a lot of noise while preparing breakfast. I bet anything that they did it just to annoy me. I was pretty sober the last time I spoke with either one of them, and I knew they would probably be pretty upset with me.

I sat up and checked my pip-boy. 6:30. Why couldn't we sleep in for once? Why did we always have to be up early? Why was the room spinning? I sat down, trying to dispel the wave of dizziness that washed over me. I was so thirsty, I pulled out a water bottle and downed the thing in one go. I pulled out another and drank half of that before I was able to quench my thirst.

Whatever Kari and Charon were making, it was causing my stomach to lurch. I knew if I threw up, Kari would, too. I suppressed the urge and covered myself back up, burying my head in the pillow. I wanted to sleep so badly, but Kari and Charon would probably leave, even without me. A week ago, I wouldn't have a doubt in my mind that Kari would never leave me alone. Now, I couldn't be too sure. I hoped she wouldn't, but there was that nagging voice in the back of my head that told me otherwise and reminded me of the mean things I had done to her.

"We leave in an hour," Charon stated. "Be ready by then."

"And eat these," she said, handing me a box of devilled eggs. "They help to replenish lost nutrients. If I had any noodles, that would be better, but eat and drink plenty of water. Doctor's orders. Try to sleep afterwards. I'll wake you before we leave."

Her voice pierced through my skull, rattling whatever was in there. I hoped that I would be able to get rid of the stupid hangover soon, but something told me otherwise. I regretted ever going down to the Muddy Rudder, but the Wasteland is a haunting place. Sometimes, I just want to forget everything I've done out there, all of the things that I've killed, but their voices, their blood-curdling screams, they play through my mind each time I close my eyes. I wanted to forget it all. When I was out on the battlefield, killing felt great. I was like a blood-thirsty animal, waiting for the kill that was about to come. I relished the fight, savored the kill. I loved the feeling when I would finish my opponent off, winning yet another battle. The blood had no effect on me. But, when it came time to leave, I felt... hollow. I wanted to crawl in a hole and die. I felt terrible, and I felt weak. I guessed that made Kari the stronger person. She killed because she had to, and did not enjoy it. I did it for fun, but I felt horrible afterwards, kind of like drinking. All fun and games until the hangover comes.

I felt a bit better after some sleep, but noises and light still bothered me. I guess it would be a lot like coming out of the Vault for the first time. What Kari suggestion helped a bit, though. I guess that the training in the Vault was coming in handy for her. Mine, not so much. I let out a sigh, rubbing my eyes in the process. I dragged myself out of bed, hoping that Charon and Kari would take it easy on me, but I knew that they wouldn't. Not after the stunt that I pulled last night, anyway.

I flinched every time either Charon or my sister fired one of their guns, my eardrums pounding, making my headache even worse. I wanted to crawl into a hole and shoot out my brains, but that wouldn't really do any good. We arrived at GNR, but only to trade the couple of holotapes for caps. We made three-hundred from them, which would be enough to get us through for a couple weeks, so long as nothing happened. We spent the night there, but I didn't like it. The beds weren't soft, and guns fired all night long, making it hard to sleep. I would much rather have kept going and slept somewhere else, but Kari had insisted on stopping.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

After resting for the night at GNR, we began our trek to Megaton. Hopefully, things would be calm enough for us to find a place to sleep for the night and stock up on more supplies. And maybe Simms wouldn't be so mad at us for killing Moriarty, but that wasn't too likely, even if he _did_ dislike the bar owner.

We passed through the ruins of D.C., climbing over piles of rubble. Off in the distance, I could smell something burning. Up in the sky, I could see plumes of smoke puffing though the air. I stopped and watched with a weird fascination. I felt a tug on my arm, and I looked over to see a small boy. His face was covered in ash, his clothes were singed, and he bore the acrid odor of smoke. He looked like he hadn't eaten a decent meal in years.

"Please, you have to help!" he pleaded. "Those... Those things! They're going to get me!"

"Calm down," I told him. "What's wrong?"

"Those things! They came out of nowhere! They started attacking us, burning our home to the ground! I fled, though! Please, we need help!"

"Kari, let's go," I heard Mei say. "He's obviously crazy."

I ignored her. "Did you come from over there?"

I pointed to where the smoke was coming from, and he nodded. Great. I couldn't leave him sitting there alone, not in the ruins of D.C. My conscience wouldn't let me.

"Kari, we don't have time for this," Mei continued. "We have to find Dad."

"Mei, I can't just leave him here," I said. "We have to help him. Besides, it shouldn't take that long. Come on. Take us there, will you?"

He nodded again, watching Charon with fearful eyes.

"Don't mind him," I said. "He won't hurt you. Now, my sister, I can't make any promises, but don't bother her and she won't bother you."

He didn't seem to pick up on my joking tone, only nodding before he took my hand in his and tugged. He led us over piles of rubble and through old, decrypt buildings.

"What's your name?" I asked him.

"Bryan," he replied. "Bryan Wilks."

"My name is Hikari," I said.

"Hikari? That's a funny name," he said with a ghost of a smile.

I smiled back at him. "I guess it is. It's Japanese, meaning 'Light.'"

"I guess I like that meaning better than Bryan," he stated. "My name is pretty ordinary."

"I guess my parents needed something," I told him. "See, my parents didn't know that my mom was about to have twins, so they only had one name picked out. I guess they picked mine out on the spot, but at least it has meaning."

He nodded.

"So, are there any other people where you live?" I questioned.

"Yeah," he replied. "There's the Brandices. They have a boy that's a bit older than me, but he's pretty cool. We read comic books together and he teaches me stuff. His parents are a bit... weird though. His dad is really good with a gun, though. My dad is, too. Then, there's Doctor Lesko. He moved in to too long ago. He lives in the shack next to my house. He and my dad built the shack, and we helped him move his stuff in it. He's really smart, but he gets annoyed when I ask too many questions, though. Other than that, it's just me and my dad."

"What about the things that are attacking?" I asked. "The more I know, the better I can help."

"My dad called them Fire Ants," he stated. "He says, 'They're fuckin' ants. You gotta shoot them in their antenner!' whatever that means."

"Fire... Fire breathing ants?" I questioned.

"Yeah, they do that," he said. "That's why everything in Grayditch is on fire, and I had to get someone to help! They're gonna destroy everything!"

"Don't worry," I told him. "I've killed one before. I did it while crawling around in a vent, too. I'll stop those ants."

"You're not like other grownups," he stated. "You seem a lot nicer. I like you."

"I try," I said with a smile. "But sometimes, I am a mean person."

"That's okay! My dad says that everyone has a mean side, and sometimes, we have to look past it to find love, whatever that means."

"Your dad sounds like a pretty good person," I stated.

"He is! I think you two will get along great. You'll like him, I'm sure!"

I smiled at his childish happiness and innocence. I missed when I was like that, but Mei groaned behind us. She obviously didn't want to do this, but I was going to, whether she came along or not.

Not much later, we reached the town of Grayditch. Fires were everywhere, and the unusually hot sun was intensified by the flames. Sweat was dripping down my face.

"I have to find my papa!" he said, seemingly surprised by how much fire there was.

"Bryan, I'll find him," I stated. "It's too dangerous for you. Which house is yours?"

"That one," he said, pointing to one that was in decent shape.

"Is there somewhere safe that you can wait for us?"

He scrunched his face up in thought before answering, "Yeah. There's an old shelter by the diner. I'll be in there."

"Okay, we'll get you when we're done, but if we aren't back by this time tomorrow, please go seek shelter in Megaton. It's..." I paused to check my pip-boy. "Pretty much northwest of here. Talk to Mother Manya, Billy Creel, Lucas Simms, or Lucy West. I'm sure one of them will take care of you, but try to avoid Jericho, Moira, and pretty much everyone else. And here, you look like you haven't eaten in forever."

I accessed my pip-boy and took out a bottle of water and a half-eaten box of Sugar Bombs. He smiled and thanked me for everything before running off. Mei glared at me, and Charon just stared off into the distance, his shotgun at the ready. I pulled out the plasma rifle and loaded it like Harkness had shown me. I kept my finger on the trigger and the gun up and pointed. We attacked a couple of fire ants off in the distance before they even seemed to notice us. We entered the house of Bryan and what I saw nearly made me cry. On the floor, surrounded by dead ants and covered in burns, was the man that was Bryan's father. I could tell right away because of the shape of the face and facial features. I bent down, carefully setting my gun on the floor next to me. I felt for a pulse and found a very faint one. His breath was not present, though.

I did what I knew of CPR. I tilted his head back, pinched his nose, and breathed into him twice before starting compressions. Thirty times, repeat. I checked his pulse, but there was no increase.

"No..." I whispered before trying again.

The pulse only got weaker and weaker with every passing second. I felt rough, calloused hands grasp my arms, tugging me away.

"No!" I shouted, struggling against the pull. "No, I can still save him!"

"Kid, there's nothing more you can do," Charon stated.

Somewhere inside, I had already known it was too late from the moment I saw him, but it still hurt to hear it. I could feel tears flow down my cheeks. I felt terrible. If only... If only I had gotten there sooner. Maybe I would have been able to save him. I felt terrible for Bryan, who just lost his father. I hated to be the one to tell him, but I knew I had to. Mei would be rude about it, and Charon would be too blunt. He was just a kid. I didn't know exactly how old he was, but he was much too young to be losing his father.

I heard Bryan talking to himself in the shelter, wondering about the different buttons, and commenting about how he knew what a T.V. dinner felt like.

"B-Bryan," I called, knocking on the door. "It's Hikari."

The door opened us and Bryan walked out.

"Did you find him?" he asked hopefully.

"Bryan... I... I'm sorry. I was unable to save him," I stated. "He was barely alive when we found him. It used all of my medical training, but I was too late. I'm sorry."

His face was downcast, and he muttered, "It's okay. I kind of already knew. Besides, I'm too tired to cry. But... You gotta stop this! You can't let this happen to anyone else's family."

Yes. It would be a terrible tragedy if anything like this happened to someone like Bryan. I _would_ stop it, with or without Charon and Mei's help.

"I will do that," I stated. "Do you know where the ants come from?"

"Yeah. They come out of the station nearby. I'll show it to you."

I nodded, and Charon and Mei followed wordlessly behind me. I could tell Mei was kind of upset, but I had to put that on hold. When Bryan showed us the station, he went back to the shelter. It was best that way.

There were a ton of ants, and I knew that they had to be breeding somewhere. I thought it was kind of funny when I would shoot an ant, and it would suddenly melt into a pile of glowing green goo. I felt pretty childish, but it took my mind off of the depression from the task at hand. I wondered if it was supposed to do that or not, but it was very entertaining. For once, I actually enjoyed killing. It was kind of... satisfactory to see the creatures that had caused the death of Bryan's father fall and turn to goo.

Mei, on the other hand, seemed to not like doing it. She was changing more and more with each passing day, and for the worse. I wished she would go back to being sarcastic, not sadistic, like she was back in the Vault. Charon was, as always, passive on the situation. He had a blank expression on his face when he killed, as though he blocked every emotion and passion out. I wished that both of them would open up more, but I had a feeling that it wasn't about to happen anytime soon.

After a while, we came across a scientist. He seemed as startled as we were upon meeting.

"My word, what are you doing down here?" he inquired.

"We're destroying the ants that are everywhere," I explained. "They seemed to have... mutated and are able to breathe fire. I have also noticed that they secrete some kind of acidic oil that sticks to the skin and irritates it. I don't know of its purpose, though."

"It is to mark their territory, much like dogs," the scientist stated.

"You seem to know a lot about the ants," Mei commented. "Why is that?"

"W-well, you see, I was doing research on the ants, trying to see if I could genetically enhance them," he stammered. "I was doing quite well, but the ants' DNA was mutated, and they became more aggressive and hostile towards anything but another ant with the same mutation. They also began to breathe fire. The queen now lays those eggs, but I could use your help."

"How so?" I asked.

"I can't get near the queen to fix the problem. See, she has guardians that protect her. Five to be exact. If you were to kill them, I could gain access to the hatchery and get rid of the mutation in the queen."

"And if we help you?" Mei questioned.

"I can reward you with one of the injections that I used on the ants, which is perfectly safe, by the way."

"Fine," Mei said. "Just kill the five guardians, right?"

"Yes, but don't harm the queen. It would set my research back _years,_ not to mention the fact that all of the ants would go into a frenzy," he instructed.

"And where are these ants?"

"You can find them through this door," he replied, gesturing the said object. "But do be careful. The ants can be very territorial."

I nodded, and we headed through the door. The guardian ants were disposed of easily enough, but the queen was getting too close for our liking, and it would shoot blobs of... I don't really want to know what they were, but it was more of an annoyance than anything else. There was a Protectron in the room, but it didn't pay us any attention.

"Okay, that's IT!" Mei shouted, pulling out her assault rifle after being hit for the tenth time. "That queen is going to _die_!"

"Just try to ignore it, Mei," I said. "Think about the reward from Dr. Lesko."

"How do you know he's Dr. Lesko?" she questioned.

"He was conducting experiments on the ants, and he is probably the only scientist for miles," I stated. "Besides, his lab coat had his name on it."

Mei just stared at me, as though I was the only one who notices those things, and she didn't see a blob of goo from the ant queen. It hit her in the side of the head, and she growled before opening fire on the ant queen. Her bullets mostly just bounced off of the exoskeleton, but she screeched before flying into the air. Mei's fire didn't let up, and the queen looked as though she was about to charge. I pulled out my rifle, which caused Charon to pull his shotgun out. We all fired on the ant, and it let out more screeches. The Protectron also opened fire on us, but I activated V.A.T.S. and took it out. I then returned my fire on the queen. She was starting to charge, and I felt Charon tug me out of the way. Mei only jumped out at the last second, and the ant slammed into the wall. The cave that we were in began to crumble on top of her, and Charon pulled us back into reality. The cave was collapsing all around us, and we made a long sprint for the exit, the rubble falling at our heels. As we exited, the tunnel was completely caved in

"Come on, let's go find that Bryan kid," Mei suggested.

I nodded. Now that the queen was dead, there would be no way more ants with the fire-breathing mutation would ever be born again. Now all that was left was to find Bryan a place to stay. His house was far too burned to live in, and the fires were still going.

"What- What happened?" Dr. Lesko demanded. "I have no signal from my terminal in the hatchery!"

"Your queen attacked us, and we attacked back. It rammed into the wall, trying to hit us, and the place collapsed," Mei said with a shrug. "Not much else."

"You-! Do you have any idea how long you have set my work back?"

"Don't really care," she replied. "It's not really my problem."

Dr. Lesko was filled with rage, and people like that were likely to do anything. I watched him cautiously, ready for anything that he may try.

"Why you- you-!" was all he said before he pulled his 10mm pistol.

Charon's gun was already drawn and fired by the time I had gotten to Mei. Dr. Lesko's brain matter had been sprayed all over the wall, and my shoulder was bleeding rather profusely. It burned terribly, and the sensation was spreading throughout my whole body. The hole sealed itself up and popped out the bullet. I had completely forgotten about that, and still hadn't figured out how it happened. The burning didn't stop, though. It spread like wildfire though my body, and I cried aloud.

"Kari, what's wrong?" I heard Mei ask.

"It-It burns! Everywhere!"

"Ant nectar," Charon stated as he examined Dr. Lesko's gun. "He had the bullets coated in it."

"We need to get her to a doctor," Mei said.

I felt Charon's arms wrap around me and lift me off of the ground. I hadn't really noticed before, but he smelled of leather and gunpowder. That was the last thing I remembered before passing out.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I kept forgetting about Kari's weird ability to heal, yet I was surprised when she said that she felt like everything was burning. I wasn't surprised when she passed out in Charon's arms. As we left Marigold Station, I remembered that Bryan kid. He was the whole reason we did that. He was still in the shelter, talking to himself. I think I would, too, if I were left all alone in one of those things for too long.

"Hey, kid, you can come out, now," I said, rapping on the door.

The door opened, and he practically jumped out.

"It was so cool!" he said. "The ants just went crazy and killed each other! It was scary, but cool!"

"Yeah, yeah," I brushed off. "Kari and I killed the queen ant and its protectors, and we even collapsed the tunnel that it was in. But listen; Kari is hurt really bad. We need to get her to a doctor. You can either come with us, or you can stay here."

"Really? I can come with you?"

I sighed, and knew I would come to regret my decision. "Yes, but keep quiet. If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell you to hide, you hide. If I tell you to shut up, then shut up. Got it?"

"Yep!"

"Good, now for the record, this is temporary, and only until Kari wakes up so we can decide on what to do with you."

He nodded, and I smirked. "Let's go."

We traveled a while in silence before the kid spoke up.

"So what happened to her?" he questioned.

"I thought I told you to keep quiet," I stated.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"But, if you must know, Dr. Lesko was mad because we destroyed the queen and so he tried to attack me. Kari jumped in front of the bullet that he shot at me, and it was coated in ant nectar, which burn really bad. She would have been just fine if it hadn't been coated, but he's dead now. Charon shot his head off with his shotgun in one shot," I told him.

Telling him what had happened made me realize just how much Charon watched out for us. He killed anything that was a direct threat, and tried to keep them from happening. He was silent, which was a bonus, and he didn't complain about anything, even as he carried my unconscious sister across the wasteland. I couldn't have carried her weight, though he seemed to have no problem with it. The only problem was, it would make it difficult for him to defend himself if we were attacked.

Soon, Megaton came into view. The scrap metal city towered off in the distance, and the sun was nearly set. I hoped that Simms wouldn't be too mad about me killing Moriarty the last time I we were there. I doubted he would deny us entry because of Kari's condition, but out in the wasteland, people were capable of doing anything.

Simms warily approached us as we entered the town.

"Didn't think we'd be seeing you three in town anytime soon," he stated. "What happened to her?"

"She took a bullet in my place, and it was coated in some kind of ant pheromone, which is killing her from the inside out. We need to see the doctor."

"Just... hurry. A lot of people don't take kindly to you two after Moriarty was killed."

"Whatever. Let them deal with it however they want. I don't really care. I have to take care of Kari. Besides, I told him not to hit Gob any more. You may not like it, but I did what I had to in order to help out one of the few people who actually gave a crap about us out here."

The sheriff nodded, and we headed down to the doctor's office.

"Now what?" he irritatingly asked. "What's up with her?"

"She has ant nectar inside her," I stated. "We need them out, but I don't really know how to do that."

"You got caps?" he questioned.

"Yeah," I replied, rather annoyed. "You guys are all the same: caps or no service. I thought doctors were supposed to help people out, even if they had no caps."

"Bah. There are no people out in the wastes like that," he stated.

"Kari is," I stated. "She has helped plenty of people out without even _thinking_ about caps or any form of payment. Just look at Bryan here. Just lost his dad and Kari saved him from the burning city and tried to save his dad. We even killed the ant queen so nothing like what happened to Bryan would ever happen to anyone again. Know the facts before you open your mouth."

He scowled as Charon set Kari down on the table.

"You're one to talk," he said as he began to stick a needle in Kari. "You're the one that killed Moriarty. Now, the Stahls have control over the building, and it's only a restaurant. You also took away Nova."

"I didn't take her away. She came with us because she loves Gob and she's pregnant," I shot back. "Like I said, know the facts before you open your mouth."

"No way she loves that mess," he said. "Ghouls aren't even human."

"Don't let Kari hear you say that, or she'll blow your head off. She gets very defensive when it comes to prejudice," I stated. "And Charon, in case you haven't noticed, is a ghoul himself. Not to mention that he's a lot bigger, faster, and stronger than you and has a shotgun."

"And in case _you_ hadn't noticed, I'm the one saving your sister, so shut your mouth or I'll charge you for the chems and have you thrown out."

"I'm pretty sure I can find someone else that can save her," I said. "We came here because it was closest. Kari has a... special ability. She can survive a lot more than the normal person."

He glared at me.

"Fine, if that's the case, then find another person. And it'll be eighty caps for the med-x and pre-war chems," he stated.

"Eighty? You and I both know that's more then you charge everyone else that comes in here."

"Not my problem," he said. "You pay, or I get Simms."

"I'm not paying a cap more than forty," I stated. "You got a problem with that, take it up with Charon."

"Seventy."

"Forty."

"Sixty"

"Forty."

"Sixty."

"How about fifty?" Charon said from Kari's bedside.

I simply stared at him, and he stared back.

"Whatever," I said, placing a sack with fifty caps from my pip-boy down on the desk "Take it or leave it, this is the final offer."

"If I count it and it is a single cap less than fifty, I will have you thrown out of town."

"I'd like to see you try," I challenged.

Charon picked Kari up off of the table and we left the shop.

"That wasn't very smart," Charon commented. "It would have been best to bite your tongue."

"Whatever. I guess it's off to Underworld."

"We cannot take Bryan to Underworld," he stated. "It is too dangerous."

I had forgotten about him, and Charon had a point. I could barely handle myself, let along another kid.

"Well, I could talk to Mother Manya about taking care of him, but she is a bit crazy..."

I could hear gunshots coming from the other side of the wall.

"Simms!" a man from up top shouted. "Simms, there's a horde of Raiders! We can't hold them off!"

I heard Simms swear loudly before asking how many there were.

"I don't know, maybe fifteen or twenty," was the response. "Weld is holding them off, but I think they're going to try to take Megaton this time!"

As we approached the top of the hill, Simms turned to us.

"I need you two to help fight off the Raiders," Simms told us. "Think of it as paying back the town for killing Moriarty."

"Well, we can't leave until the Raiders are gone, anyway. Come on Charon. I'm sure Kari will be fine for the time being."

Charon gently set Kari down against the wall, and I instructed Bryan to stay with her until we came back. The boy nodded, and Charon and I headed out, our guns at the ready. My pip-boy said that there were approximately seventeen of them and three dogs, making twenty hostiles, the most I had ever faced at once. I activated V.A.T.S., using the bits of junk as cover. I took out two before my battery needed to be recharged. Charon took out a couple more, Simms took a few out, and Stockholm and Weld took out a couple more. Up above, I heard the sentry grunt in pain before he hit the floor of the metal walkway. Great. Four against nine Raiders and two dogs.

I felt a couple of bullets graze my shoulder, but I ignored it. Simms was down, a couple shots to the leg. Deputy Weld's sensors had been disabled from a couple of well-placed shots, so it was down to Charon and me with seven Raiders. Wonderful.

Suddenly, a green bolt of light whizzed past me, hitting a Raider in the chest, turning him to a pile of green goo in the process. Finally, another gun was at our service, and one that could heal at a rapid rate. I guess Kari's system just needed time to work the nectar out of her body.

My pip-boy beeped at me, and I activated V.A.T.S. alongside Kari. Together with Charon, we took down the remaining Raiders. When the battle was over, Charon and I looted the bodies for anything useful. I got quite a few caps and some more ammo, and so did Charon. I also took one of their assault rifles to take spare parts from to repair my gun later. I stored the items before walking up to Kari, who was helping Simms. Her work was nearly complete, but he still looked like he was in a lot of pain.

"Don't worry," she said. "The med-x will kick in soon, and you'll be back on your feet in a few weeks."

He groaned and tried to stand, but Kari held him back down.

"No walking for... two weeks. Doctor's orders. Charon, will you please fetch Leo and Andy Stahl for me?"

He nodded and reentered the town.

"Kari, how-?" I began.

"My body seems to have an advanced recovery system. I guess something must have happened so that it kicks in when I'm injured," she stated. "Whatever was in my system probably would have killed me, but I feel fine."

A moment later, Charon returned with the Stahl boys, and they helped to carry Simms back in.

"Hikari, Mei, and Charon, I'd like to speak with the three of you in private, if you would," Simms said.

"Sure," Kari replied. "When would you like us over?"

"Now," he stated.

"Well, okay," she said.

Charon and I followed Kari back into Simms house, and once Simms was okay, the Stahl brothers left to take care of Stockholm.

"I had a thought out on the field," Simms told us. "Hikari, would you kindly open my safe for me and retrieve the yellow envelope? The combination is 42-6-12."

She nodded and did as she was asked. When he had the envelope in his hands, he pulled out a piece of paper.

"I want you to have this," he stated, handing it to Kari. "It's the deed to the house up on the hill. Thanks to all three of you, the town is safe, and we couldn't have done it without you."

"Thank you," Kari said. "We really appreciate this. Mei and I haven't had a place to call home since we left the Vault. Thanks."

"Yeah, what she said," I added.

"Just, be wary of the other residents. I have a feeling that they may not take too kindly to my decision, but it is mine to make, not theirs. Please, enjoy it."

"I will," she stated. "Thank you, again."

He nodded and left us to leave. Upon entering our new home, we were greeted by a robot butler named Wadsworth. He gave us purified water and told us pre-war jokes. He was also equipped with a flame thrower and a buzz saw, just like Andy back in the Vault. Hopefully, he'd be more... careful than the other robot, though. I remember when Andy destroyed our cake on our tenth birthday.

"Hey, Mei, remember back on our tenth birthday when Andy went to cut the cake-"

"And he ended up mutilating it," I finished with a smile. "I was just thinking about that."

"I remember when you and Butch were fighting over that sweet roll from Granny Palmer," she continued.

"Yeah, and you got mad when he dragged you into the argument and called you a bitch and he ended up with a broken jaw."

Kari laughed in a sad way. "Yeah. I also remember when I cracked his shin."

"That was pretty funny."

"Well, if he hadn't been picking on me, it wouldn't have happened."

"What did happen, anyway? I came in as you kicked him."

"He... well, I don't really want to talk about it," she stated.

"Why not?"

"It's personal," she excused.

"Come on, it can't be _that_ bad."

"He commented on how _small_ I was, and then violated my personal bubble," she said in a small voice.

I couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sorry, but Butch should have known not to do that after the party."

"Well, he didn't, apparently."

"Gosh, can you believe that we left the Vault less than a month ago?"

"Mmm," she agreed. "It feels like we've been out here forever."

"Well," I said after a moment of silence, "I think I'm going to head to bed. Come on up when you feel like it."

"M'kay," she replied. "Tomorrow, we can find Bryan a new home."

"Sure," I said. "Goodnight."

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

Slowly, I opened my eyes. Everything was blurry at first, but I blinked a few times and it all came back into focus. I coughed up a weird substance that burned my throat terribly, and it tasted even worse. I spit it out and noticed that Bryan Wilks knelt in front of me. Off in the distance, I could hear the sounds of gunshots. I could pick out Charon's shotgun and Mei's assault rifle through the fire. After traveling with them, I noticed that each gunshot had a slightly different noise level and, oddly enough, tone. There were also a lot more guns being fired, so I stood up and pulled out my plasma rifle.

"Stay here," I told Bryan as I loaded my gun. "Join us when we come back."

He nodded and I went off to join the fight. Just after I exited the city, I activated V.A.T.S. and time slowed. I could see seven Raiders. Simms was out of the fight, and it seemed that we were outnumbered. I chose a Raider and aimed for his torso. Time sped back up and the blob of plasma shot out of my gun, hitting him directly in the chest. That turned him into a pile of goo, and I smirked. We disposed of the rest of the Raiders before I turned to Simms.

"I-I'll be fine," he stammered. "Stockholm... He needs help now."

"I'll send someone up before long," I told him while injecting his leg with med-x.

He winced as I cleaned off the wound, and then tightly wrapped it up. Once Leo and Andy were present, I told them about Stockholm, and after they finished moving Simms, they went to get Doc Church to tend to him.

Remembering the past with Mei made me feel rather homesick, and I wished that my father hadn't left the Vault, and then none of these things would be happening. But, it did, and I was making the most of it. Tomorrow, we would find Bryan a home, and I wanted to check in with Ian West before we left.

"Come on, Bryan. We need to get you to bed," I stated. "I have a feeling it's way past your bedtime."

I looked at my pip-boy, and it was nearing eleven. I walked him upstairs, but there was only one twin bed. Mei was at the edge against the wall.

"Well, you take the bed," I told him.

"Where will you sleep?" he questioned.

"Don't worry about that," I replied with a smile. "Just get some rest."

"But she scares me," he admitted.

"She won't harm you," I whispered. "Just don't wake her."

He nodded before climbing in to the bed. I covered them up with a blanket that was lying on the desk next to the bed.

"Goodnight," I muttered.

"'Night," he responded.

I left the room with Charon.

"Now, where will we sleep?" I asked myself.

"I can make a makeshift bed," Charon offered.

"You don't have to..."

"If my mistress wishes it, I shall do it."

"Only if you want to," I replied.

"Then I shall."

Charon turned and began to scrounge around for items. He came up with some old pillows that were in a cupboard, a couple blankets, and some old pre-war clothing. He arranged it in the other room next to the bedroom. When it resembled something of a bed, I climbed into it, and Charon joined me not much later. He was a lot warmer than everyone else, which I thought was kind of odd, but I ignored the scientific marvel and curled up next to him. Between him and the blanket, I had never slept in a warmer place since leaving the Vault.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I woke up, and the kid was next to me. I forgot who he was for a moment and started to freak out. After a moment, though, I remembered and relaxed. I checked my pip-boy. It was around eight in the morning, and I had a feeling that Kari and Charon would be up, wherever they were. Come to think of it, I had no idea where they were.

I woke the kid up before going to find my sister. As I passed the room next to where I was, I found them. They were lying on a make-shift bed of pillows, blankets, and pre-war clothing. They were both asleep, and Kari was curled up beside Charon, who had his arms around her protectively. They looked so... cute, I guess, lying there. I hated myself for thinking it, and I didn't really want anyone getting that close to my sister. Still, she looked pretty happy, and I knew he'd keep her safe.

I didn't want to wake Charon, for fear of my life, so I asked our new robot to cook up some breakfast. He obliged began to whip something up. I didn't know what it was, but it smelled good, and that was something that never happened in the wastes. All of the food had either gone stale or was just plain disgusting.

He placed whatever it was in the oven before telling me it would be ready in about ten minutes. I nodded and went to check on Kari and Charon, but they were both still sleeping. Hopefully, the smell of food would wake them up. After I sat down at the table, I could hear movement from upstairs. Finally, we'd be able to get rid of the kid, even if he was really warm at night.

Wadsworth opened the oven door, and a sweet, warm smell emanated from it. He withdrew something, and I could hear him jet around then come in to the same room as me. He was carrying a plate full of sweet rolls.

"I hope this pleases you," he said as he set them down on the table.

I nodded before taking a couple. Bryan looked at them with large eyes, and I tossed one to him, telling him to eat. The roll was so warm, sweet, and fresh. I loved the robot already.

"Look, Kari!" I said through a mouthful of food as she came down the stairs. "Sweet rolls!"

Her eyes lit up as she rushed over and sat next to me, shoving one greedily in her mouth.

"These are amazing!"

"I asked Wadsworth to make breakfast, and he made them," I told her. "I love him already."

Charon hesitantly sat down and joined us. Kari handed him one of the rolls as Wadsworth brought us some Brahmin milk to go with it. Kari thanked him before we finished breakfast.

"So, Bryan, any idea of where we could send you?" Kari asked.

"Well, my dad said something about having an aunt in Rivet City," he stated. "Her name is Vera Weatherly."

"I know Vera," Kari said. "She was pretty nice, and I think we could ask her to take you in if you want to come with us."

"Really? You'd take me?" he questioned.

"Of course, but we'll have to leave soon if we want to make it there by tomorrow."

"What about Dad?" I reminded her. "He could have gotten what he needed from Vault 112 and been on his way by now."

She bit her lower lip, and I knew I had hit something.

"You guys are looking for your dad?" Bryan questioned. "Well, you two have done so much for me, I'm sure I can survive on my own until I find a place to stay."

"No, Bryan," Kari stated. "I told you I would find you a home, and I will. I won't go back on my word."

"Really, I know what it's like to lose a father," he replied. "You don't have to go out of your way any longer."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, as long as you guys don't mind letting me stay here for a while until I find someone to watch out for me."

Kari sighed. "Alright, but I want to take the rest of today to get ready for our trip. I have to stock up on supplies and I'd like to check in with Ian and Lucy."

"Whatever," I said. "I think I'm just gonna relax."

Kari and I split ways as we went to do what we wanted. Even Bryan went off to do something, but Wadsworth just jetted around the house.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

After bartering with Moira Brown, I headed over to check up on Ian. I had hoped he was adjusting well, but I didn't know for sure if he was. When I knocked on the door, Lucy answered.

"Oh, hello," she greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"I was just in the neighborhood and decided to check up on Ian," I stated. "Just to see how he was adjusting and to see if he needed anything."

"Oh, well, come on in them," she said. "Can I get you anything?"

"No, thank you."

"If you'll have a seat, I'll go fetch him," she said, gesturing to a rather beaten up couch.

I nodded and did as I was asked. Charon stood there kind of awkwardly.

"Ian, you have a visitor," I heard Lucy say.

Ian came down from upstairs, looking a bit surprised. He looked a lot better than the last time I saw him, though. He didn't look as troubled and he had a light tan to his face.

"Oh, it's you," he said.

"Just came to see how you were doing," I stated. "So how are you doing?"

"I'm doing a lot better, thanks," he replied. "Now that I'm back with Lucy, things have been a lot easier."

"That's good to hear," I told him. "How's life been here in Megaton? Everyone treating you okay?"

"I haven't been outside much, so it's pretty boring, but I like it a lot better," he said. "Lucy makes things easier, but she doesn't let me go outside very often. She fears that I'll lose control again, but I don't think I will. I can usually tell, but there are times that I can't."

"Do you want to go for a walk, then?" I asked. "It's not as hot as usual out today, and the sun isn't that bad. It's mostly blocked out by some grey clouds."

"Sure," he replied. "Let me just go make sure it's okay with Lucy."

He left upstairs and came back a moment later.

"She said yeah," he reported.

I stood up, and then held the door open for him.

"I thought that men were supposed to hold doors open," he commented.

"I don't really know if any real gentlemen exist out here," I told him with a chuckle. "But yes, in general, they are."

"I'm sure there are somewhere," he stated. "They just aren't very common."

"That is true," I said. "I know of a couple, now that I think about it. There's one in Rivet City that had it arranged so my sister and I could stay for free in a room for two nights,-"

I heard Charon grumble behind us.

"Charon, despite what you were told, nothing happened between us. We talked, he showed me where I wanted to go, and I was on my way. Mei just wanted to get drunk," I reminded him. "Harkness is a good man."

He muttered something about not being a true man, and I frowned. "You need to be nicer to him. It's not like he _chose_ to be what he is. I'm sure that if he was given the choice, he would choose to be a normal person, as would just about everyone. You know, you're turning into Mei."

"What's wrong with this Harkness person?" Ian asked.

"Well... I can't exactly say. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I promised I wouldn't tell anyone."

"I understand. I wouldn't want you telling anyone my secret, even if you _did _trust them."

We walked and chatted for quite some time before we headed back to his house. I bade him farewell before heading back to my own house. Mei was messing around with Wadsworth's internal components.

"What-?"

"Ah, Madame Hikari, you are home," he interrupted. "One of my combustion pipes came loose. Madame Mei is fixing it for me."

"Oh, okay. I've got all of the needed supplies for our trip tomorrow, but it's getting really dark outside. The clouds are almost... black."

"I'm sure it's just your imagination," Mei said without taking her eyes off of the robot. "I'm sure-"

A loud, booming sound issued from somewhere outside, and it seemed to shake the floor. I jumped and clung to Charon unintentionally.

"What was that?" I asked.

"It is thunder," he stated. "It happens when the shock wave created by a lightning bolt that heats air along its path of travel. The violent expansion of these ionized air molecules creates that shock wave, and noise that it makes is what we call thunder."

"Oh... okay."

I let go, but jumped and clung again when the thunder again clashed through the air. The door flung open, and Bryan Wilks came in.

"What-What's going on?" he asked.

"I-It's just thunder," I told him. "H-Harmless, right, Charon?"

"Thunder is harmless, yes, but the lightening that causes it is not," he stated. "One bolt of lightning could kill us all, and it strikes randomly."

Suddenly, a noise came from upstairs. It sounded as though gunfire was pounding on the roof.

"Wh-what's that?" I asked.

"That would be the liquid form of precipitation, more commonly known as rain," the mercenary said. "It occurs when water evaporates from the earth and the droplets collect in the clouds before falling back to the earth as rain. It is quite rare in the wasteland, usually only one shower every few years. It is highly irradiated, so I suggest that no one leaves until it is over."

"How long does it last?" Mei questioned.

"Not too long," he stated. "Usually a day, but since the ground is so dry, everything turns to radiated mud."

"Great," Mei muttered.

I wanted to see rain. I think I once read about it before I left the Vault, but I couldn't remember. I opened the door a crack, and the water poured everywhere outside. It was so pretty, I wanted to go stand in it, but I felt Charon's hand on my arm.

"You wanna end up like me?"

Sure, I wouldn't _mind_ being ghoul, but I'd rather not become one. I opened my pip-boy and took a rad-x before Charon let me go outside. The water was cold and it stung a bit, but it was beautiful. I had never really seen anything like it. Before too long, I was soaked. Charon stood by me, not even fazed by the water. I could tell he enjoyed it, especially since ghouls were healed by radiation. I stared directly up into the sky, ignoring the water that fell into my eyes. It was so... mesmerizing, as though the sky was coming down. I knew that it would be quite some time until I saw another, if I even survived that long.

After a while, Charon pulled me back inside, claiming that I could get sick easily in rain, but I had to odd ability to heal. The lightning lit up the sky, but I was frightened that it would hit me. I changed into warmer, dry clothing, trying to dispel the shivers that were overtaking me. Charon sat beside me on the bed and draped a blanket around me before wrapping his arms around me. I leaned into his warmth, trying to block out the pounding on the roof. When the thunder resounded, I was caught off guard and clung to Charon. He seemed to be very patient with me and took whatever I happened to dish out.

Bryan came in and sat in my lap much later, as he, too was scared of the thunder and lightning. He fell asleep not too much after that, and I noticed just how warm he was. I wondered if he was getting sick or something. If so, then I couldn't abandon him. Also, I couldn't allow Mei to be around him too much, or she may get sick, too. Charon and Wadsworth would be fine, but I wasn't sure if I would be immune or not, and Mei would definitely get sick, too.

Charon got up to bring the makeshift bed into the bedroom so we could all be in the same room. When I held Bryan, I realized just how much I wanted a child of my own. I wanted a normal life, with kids and a loving husband, but I couldn't. Nobody really could in the wastes, but we could try. Surely, if we tried hard enough, we would someday be able to.

Mei came up after Charon moved the mattress to the floor next to the makeshift bed and moved the frame out of the way. Bryan shifted slightly in his sleep as I held him, but he seemed undisturbed, otherwise. I lay with Mei at my back while I held Bryan, and Charon was on the other side of Bryan. For a moment, I felt like we were all a big family. Charon was the protective father, I was the mother caring for her child, who was Bryan, and Mei was the aunt who was a bit cold and crazy, but loving deep inside.

Every time the thunder struck, it seemed to have the opposite effect on me than before. It actually seemed to lull me to sleep rather than make me jumpy. Maybe it was the sense of security that I felt as we all lay together, but I liked it, and I didn't ever want it to end.

* * *

After Notes:

I have another chapter uploaded, and I like this one. I actually looked up some videos of thunderstorms to listen to for the ending. It was quite relaxing.

I am pretty exhausted, but drumline is almost over, and our competition for concert band is tomorrow right after school. We also have 2 hour delays next week (except Wednesday, only one hour, but early dismissal) for Ohio Graduation Tests that the sophomores have to take. I'm looking forward to sleeping in.

I am getting too into this, because I had two Fallout 3 related dreams two nights ago. They were both pretty weird, but cool.

As always, I ask that you review or let me know what you think through a PM or something. Much appreciated, HikariMei


	9. Chapter 9: Robots and Simulations

Chapter 9: Robots and Simulations

The following morning, everything was silent, and I was very warm. I could see the sun shining through the cracks in the wall, and I sat up. Mei and Bryan were still asleep, but Charon wasn't nearby. I went out of the room, and he was leaning against the wall.

"Good morning," I greeted.

He nodded in my direction, but said nothing otherwise. I wondered how long he had been standing there, but I shrugged it off. I guess it didn't really matter.

"I really need a shower," I commented to no one in particular. "I guess I'll go take one."

"I would advise staying up top," he stated. "It is very muddy out."

I nodded and made sure I had my towel in my pip-boy before I told Wadsworth where I would be going. He offered to make breakfast again, but I declined. I had a box of sugar bombs in my pip-boy that I would eat later.

"Hikari, would you like me to try to repair your rifle while you shower?" Charon offered.

"Yes, please, but do you know anything about plasma rifles?"

He nodded. I guess whatever training he had covered everything. I pulled it out of my pip-boy and handed it to him before going in to the bathroom. When I determined no one else was there, I popped a rad-x before stripping down and getting in the cool shower. The cold water hurt, and I started to get a headache. I stayed in for as little as possible before I dried off and washed my old clothes. I pulled out another jumpsuit that I had washed the last time I showered and put the wet one in my pip-boy to dry.

I felt slightly lightheaded as I stepped out of the bathroom, and my headache was getting progressively worse. The sunlight made it worse, but I ignored it. I started to shiver, despite the harsh heat from the sun and the sweat that poured down my face. The metal walkway was turning, and I felt sick to my stomach. I felt Charon's warm hand on my arm, and I felt a bit better, but I rushed back into the bathroom, throwing up the little I had in my stomach. Charon didn't seem to care that it was the women's bathroom and came in after me.

"You are sick," he stated. "I told you not to go out last night."

"I was hoping that my immune system was strong because I can heal fast," I managed to reply. "Apparently not."

He awkwardly rubbed my back, much like my father used to do before we left the Vault. It made me feel better, but I knew he was feeling uncomfortable.

"We need to get you home," he said.

I tried to stand, but I was too dizzy. Charon groaned softly before lifting me off of the ground, carrying me like I was a little kid. I placed my head on his warm leather armor, and I felt a bit better. His scent was oddly comforting, and I relaxed as he carried me back home. He placed me on the real bed and left for a moment to fetch a bucket. I also heard him talk to Mei briefly, probably explaining what happened. I waited for him to return, and he handed me the bucket.

"Your sister says you need to get well soon," he stated. "Wadsworth has already had to clean up one mess, and I don't believe he wants to clean up another."

I had forgotten about that odd bond Mei and I had. I nodded, but that only proved to make things worse.

"Try putting your head between your knees if you feel like you are about to vomit," he instructed, "But keep the bucket close by."

I managed a nod and did what I was told. I sat on the edge, the bucket in between my feet, my head tucked between my knees. Charon rubbed my back, and the dizziness seemed to stop, along with the urge to throw up. After a while, my nausea completely went away, but I was still shivering and I had a fever. Charon told me to lie down, but I already knew rest was the best treatment for sickness. The ghoul covered me with a blanket and lay with me until I fell asleep.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

Kari was sick. I knew it as soon as I felt the food rush back out. I felt fine until then. Afterwards, though, I felt sick to my stomach. I told Wadsworth to clean up the mess before lying down for a bit. I guessed Kari was feeling better, because I was, too. I went downstairs, and Charon was carrying Kari in. Her face was flushed, and she looked terrible. I wanted to comfort her, but I was sick, also. Besides, Charon looked as though he had things all set. He came downstairs a moment later.

"She has caught a cold," he told me before I even asked.

"I got that much," I replied. "We have an odd bond that when one of us is sick like she was, the other is, also. How did she get sick?"

"Probably from being out in the cold precipitation," he stated. "I need a bucket for her."

"Wadsworth, a bucket," I said.

"Yes, ma'am," I heard him say.

"He already cleaned up one mess," I told him. "Don't really think he needs another."

"She should be well, soon," he stated. "I will tend to her. You should rest as well."

I nodded, and he retrieved the bucket from Wadsworth's... hand? I don't really know what you'd call it. Claw, I think, would be better.

I sat at the table, eating some dandy boy apples that were in the fridge. I don't really know how old they are, but the radiation seems to keep things from molding. Back in the Vault, that was a bit of a problem if things were left out or the vacuum-sealed storage wasn't sealed right.

I sighed and put my feet up on the table. I thought about how much Charon was changing. They were just subtle things, but they were changes, none the less. Charon was taking more initiative and not waiting for Kari to relieve him. He was also talking more, and he was growing physically closer to Kari, or maybe she was growing on him. Maybe they were both growing closer to each other... I don't know. I ended up confusing myself if I went too deep in thought, so I didn't do it very often. Kari was the thinker, and I was the shooter, but I had to admit, she was getting better.

My mind shifted to Dad. I wondered if he was still at Vault 112, or if he even made it. I hoped for Kari's sake that he had. I don't know if she would handle another disappointment. I then wondered just how long it would take us to get to Evergreen Mills, and if we would even be able to reach the Vault ourselves. Something told me we would, but there was a nagging voice in the back of my mind that said otherwise.

I decided to go check up on Kari and Charon. She was asleep, and Charon was still sitting, well, lying, loyally by her side. I sighed and went downstairs. I couldn't really wander around town because of all of the mud, but I wanted to. Kari had the first-aid supplies, so I wouldn't be able to take a rad-x to prevent the radiation poison that was inevitable. I propped my feet up on the table again, despite Wadsworth saying that he had just cleaned it off. He jetted off, muttering to himself. I hated technology. Well, I loved my pip-boy, but robots and androids... Those only served to cause trouble. They were in constant need of repairs, they whined about having to clean, even though that was its purpose, they didn't obey half the time...

My thoughts were interrupted when Charon came downstairs.

"She appears to be stable for the moment," he stated. "She needs warmth, mostly, and I am able to provide that, but she needs nourishment."

"Well, we've got some insta-mash if you want that," I told him. "Or some Salisbury steak, and some cram, but she doesn't really like that stuff."

"Insta-mash would be best," he replied.

I pulled the box out of my pip-boy and handed it to him. He went into the kitchen and began to make the stuff in a pan that was sitting on the stove. I had to admit, the food _did _smell good. I guess Charon knew how to cook... God, I don't know how we got through without him, before. He took a bowl up to Kari, and told me to help myself to the rest. I did just that. The mash was pretty bland, but I guess that was what Kari needed. Her stomach wasn't at its best.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

I hated my mistress, but not for the reasons most people would believe. She was too kind to me, but she whined, she clung to people, somewhat desperate for attention, she needed a lot of caring for, and I don't know how she is still alive. But, those are not the reasons that I hated her. She was too fragile; too breakable. I had a desire to protect her innocence, and I hated how she made me honestly care. She was too well-liked by most people that she met, and I could see the hunger for her behind those eyes. I _wanted_ to take care of her and protect her, and I hated her for it. Maybe it was because of the kindness and freedom she showed me, but it was odd. She gave me a relief from my contract, made it appear as though the thing didn't exist. She had yet to give me a direct order, but I think it's the bondage to that contract that made me do all of her small requests, but a small voice in the back of my head told me otherwise.

I pushed those thoughts out of my head and focused on making her better. Hikari was sick, and she needed me. I slipped into my facade and gently woke her. She hadn't eaten anything all day, and the only thing she had yesterday after breakfast was a few mutfruit that I made her eat around noon with the cannibal down at the poor excuse for a restaurant. She needed to start eating more, or she may starve to death without really realizing it. She needed it to keep her energy up as well.

She didn't want to eat, but I made her. Even if I had to feed her myself, I would make sure she did. She fell back asleep when she was finished, and I gave her my warmth as she slept. We needed her in top shape for when we made the journey to Evergreen Mills. That place was a slaver and raider nest, something that most people would never want to some across, but my mistress and her rude sister had to find their father. I understood completely the desire to find someone lost. After the bombs fell, I searched everywhere for my employer. He had told me to stay put, and I had, but when the sirens started to go off, I left. I directly disobeyed an order, but the safety of my employer always comes first. I found him battling some communists. I assisted him, but he was wounded critically. There was no way for him to survive. He handed me my contract and told me to leave him.

That master was the first to show me kindness, so, when he told me to leave, when _I_ had my contract, I obeyed out of respect. I regretted the decision, even though I knew there would be no way I could save him. I wished that I had not waited as long, and then maybe I could have saved him. I remember the guilt that I felt and the hatred towards myself that was present. I had vowed never to care for anyone as strongly, no matter what, so I would not feel what I did when he died ever again. Unfortunately, my mistress took it upon herself to try to break my hard shell. She slowly was, and I hated her for it.

Once Hikari was finished eating, I took the bowl downstairs and washed it out. Mei had eaten the rest of the mash, but I wasn't hungry. While completing my training, I was rarely fed, and my body had adapted. I was thankful for my training, as it had kept me alive through these hard times, but I sometimes wished I had never gone through it. If I hadn't I would have become a ghoul, nor would I have to live in these harsh times. I had to remember, though, I would probably have died had the people who had taken me not done so. My mother died during childbirth, and my father died shortly after.

I could hear Hikari stir from where I was in the kitchen, and I went to investigate. She was sitting on the edge of the bed. She stared off into space, not even taking notice of me as I entered the room. I placed my hand on her shoulder before she looked at me.

"Oh, hello Charon," she said in a distant voice. "I didn't notice you enter the room. I guess I was just thinking about my dad."

There was something wrong, but I didn't know what. She seemed to be going mentally insane, much like most people in the wastes.

"Are you feeling well?" I asked, feeling her forehead.

She had a fever, but she nodded anyway.

"Just fine," she lied. "I think I was going to take a walk."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that," I told her. "You have a fever and it seems to be clouding your thoughts."

"Really, Charon, I'm fine," she pressed, forcing a smile. "Just a walk to clear my head."

"You need rest," I insisted. "Lay back down."

She shook her head. "I don't want to."

"Hikari, whatever you are trying to do, it will not work," I said, grabbing a hold of her arm as she tried to walk out the room.

She began to struggle, and I was confused.

"Let go!" she shouted. "Let go, now!"

Over and over she screamed, even as I did what she asked. She slumped to the floor and lay completely still. Mei entered the room, seemingly worried about her twin.

"What did you do?" she shouted as she ran up to her sister.

"I grabbed her arm because she was trying to go outside," I told her. "She was not herself, and I assume it was the sickness talking."

Slowly, Hikari started to twitch before sitting up.

"Kari! Kari, are you okay?"

"What... What happened?"

"You, you don't remember what just happened?" the once-blond inquired.

My mistress shook her head and stood up.

"Well, you started shouting," Mei stated. "I wasn't really here, though. Ask Charon."

Hikari turned towards me, a questioning look on her face.

"You requested that you be let outside," I told her. "You still had a fever, so I told you that it would be in your best interest to go back to bed. You were not yourself, and you tried to leave. I grabbed your arm, and you started screaming to let go. I obliged, and you fell to the ground, still telling me to let go. You passed out, and your sister came up. Now we are here."

She furrowed her brow, as though trying to remember what had happened. Mei stared worriedly at her. Hikari seemed to be normal, but there was something wrong with her. I didn't know what happened in that Vault, but something told me that it did something to her, something I couldn't help with.

"Well, I'm okay now," she said. "But I'm very tired. I think I'm going to take a nap."

"I shall stay, unless you have objections," I told her.

"Only if that is what you want," she replied. "Like I said, I _want_ you to do what you want, but don't hurt anyone."

"Yes, Hikari."

She sighed and lay back on the bed. I stood over her, making sure she was asleep before I relaxed. She looked and acted normal, but I wasn't too sure she would be. I sat on the chair next to the desk, keeping my eye on her. She looked so peaceful; it looked as though her episode had never occurred. She troubled me, but I couldn't help but care about her well-being.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I was truly frightened by Kari's little... episode. She never raised her voice unless she was mad. It scared me, and I was worried about her. I hoped whatever it was, it was just a fluke in her system. Just once, and it would never happen again. I knew Charon would never really hurt her, but he still concerned me. Something inside told me to keep an eye on him, no matter how many times he had saved us from the mutants. I decided to wander over to Craterside to see Moira. Apparently, she was trying to write some book, but she needed some help. She was willing to pay, from what I heard. That was something that we could use, considering our trip was going to be a long and dangerous one.

"Oh, hello!" she greeted. "Don't mind the smoke! It's perfectly safe to breathe!"

I stared at her. There was no visible smoke present. I guess she was crazier than she looked.

"Yeah, I heard you need some help with some book," I said.

"Oh! My Wasteland Survival Guide! You want to help?"

"That's why I'm here," I replied. "What do you need done?"

"Well, I plan on doing three chapters, each covering three different subjects," she stated. "The first chapter includes finding food and medicine, radiation, and traveling to a mine field! Which do you want to do first?"

I thought for a moment. It was pretty much impossible to travel anywhere with all of the mud, so I chose the radiation.

"Great! All I need you to do is expose yourself to a lot of radiation, so I can study the effects. Radiation is everywhere, so we need to learn how to better our medicines to battle it," she stated.

Yes, she was crazy. She must have been.

"Of course, once you get all radded up, I'll be sure to try out some of my home-made cures!"

"Fine," I replied. "What reward are we talking about here?"

"Plenty of rad-x's and rad-aways!"

Well, we could never have enough of those, and she would take care of my rads when I was done.

"I'll be back soon, then," I replied.

"Oh, wonderful! Thanks!"

I left the shop and headed down to the mud, where the preacher was shouting about the power of Atom and whatnot. I ignored him, fighting my way through the thick mud. With my first step, I sunk in almost to my knees. It was hard to move and I felt tired, so I flopped down, immediately sinking about foot. I lay there, feeling the radiation seeping through my skin. My Geiger counter ticked away, telling me just how fast I was gaining radiation. I kept my eye on it for the time that I was in there. When I was getting dangerously high, I somehow managed to sit up. The sun was baking the mud, turning it hard. I felt sick to my stomach, and I was exhausted. I didn't want to get up, but I knew that I would die if I didn't.

I opened up the door to Moira's shop, and she was sweeping the floor.

"Oh, hello!" she greeted. "Back already? Tell me, how do you feel?"

"Why don't you drink a tall glass of wastewater and find out for yourself?" I remarked.

"No need to be so snooty," she said. "Now, let's get you on some of my home-made recipes to see which one works that best."

I sighed. I needed the supplies and was too tired to argue, so I sat there while she had me ingest several different things, which had no effect on my radiation. Now I know what Kari felt like back in the Vault. _Wait. Kari was a lab rat,_ I realized._ Is that what's causing her to be able to heal fast and to have the episode? _I hoped not, but I had seen worse things in life happen.

Moira handed me a cup of Brahmin milk, and I swallowed the awful stuff. It was chunky, warm, sour, and reminded me of being sick, but I choked it down anyway. Strangely, I began to feel better. I checked my pip-boy, and my rads began to drop. My energy returned, and I felt my energy level rise.

"What about this?" she asked. "Any effect?"

"Yeah, actually," I replied. "It tastes terrible, but my radiation level is dropping. Lay more on me."

She nodded and fetched me another glass. "If this works, imagine what good it would do the world! Why, we'd have no reason to worry about finding rad-aways anymore!"

I forced the liquid down my throat, and felt my sickness vanish.

"Definitely works," I commented. "I think we've got a real cure here."

Her face lit up even more, and her smile stretched to her ears. "This is fantastic! I'll need to do more tests, though! Well, as promised, here. I have a lot of supplies for you."

She went to her cabinet and unlocked it before she took out a box of stuff. It was filled with odds and ends, but she pulled out five rad-aways and a couple bottles of rad-x. She set them on the counter.

"These are your payment," she stated. "Thank you very much for your help!"

I nodded and put the supplies in my pip-boy. "I should probably go check up on my sister."

"Oh? What's wrong?" she questioned.

"None of your business."

"Oh. Well, okay! If you ever want to help out, I have more research to do!"

"We're actually hoping to leave town soon," I excused. "Now, I have to go."

Without another glance back, I left the shop, ignoring the mercenary leaning against the wall that stared me down. I went back to my new house, and Wadsworth immediately complained about my filthy state. I knew that Charon and Kari would also complain if they were to see me.

Kari came down, and she looked much better than the last time I saw her. Charon was not too far behind her. She stared at me before smiling and shaking her head.

"I'm not going to ask what happened," she said. "Only request that you get the mud off before we eat dinner. I plan to ask Wadsworth to make it soon."

I nodded. "By the way, Brahmin milk gets rid of radiation. Moira and I discovered that."

She cringed, but nodded none the less. I made sure that I had the needed things in order to take my shower. The water that went down the drain was a lot like the ground outside, but I was getting cleaner. Dirt wads came free of my hair, along with any dead skin.

My clothes were another story. They took forever to get the filth out of, and a lot of it was stuck on. Not quite soon enough, I was satisfied with their condition and put them in my pip-boy.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

A week had gone and passed, and I knew it was time to move on. We had to find our dad, even if I wasn't in the best condition. It seemed that even with my ability to heal fast, my immune system was not up to par with everyone else's. I was still feeling sick, but I wouldn't let it show. We had to leave and find Dad. I needed him, and Mei did, although she wouldn't admit it.

We began our travel and the heat was almost overwhelming. I ignored the ache that I felt in my limbs and head, making sure to drink plenty of water that was given to us by Wadsworth. I even resorted to sneaking Buffout so that they wouldn't suspect anything. I held most of the medicine, so it was easy for me to do so.

We camped that night under an old, decaying highway that had collapsed partially. Charon was going to take the first watch and switch with Mei after a while. I think he _did_ suspect that I was still sick, but he said nothing to indicate so. I felt cold, and I curled up into a ball. I then remembered the Tunnel Snakes jacket that I had received, and pulled it out and slipped it on.

"You still have that thing?" Mei questioned.

"It helps to keep me warm..."

"Sure," Mei scoffed. "Or maybe you really _did_ like Butch back in the Vault."

"How could I when he was such a jerk to us? After what he did to _me_?"

"Whatever. You've done weirder things."

I sighed and resumed my position on the ground. Charon stared off into the wastes, but it was as though he wasn't really there. He was so focused, I sometimes wondered if he ever relaxed. I shrugged off the thought as I lay with Mei, waiting for sleep to overtake me.

The following morning, when I woke up, I was being carried. I could tell without opening my eyes by the way I swayed that it was true. Charon stared down at me when I stirred, but we didn't stop.

"You should not be going on this journey," he stated. "You still have a fever and you are sick. You have been sneaking Buffout, but I will not let you do that anymore. It is too dangerous."

"So is you carrying me," I responded. "What if we're attacked? You wouldn't be able to get your shotgun out in time."

"Mei is watching her radar," he replied. "We will know in advance if anyone is up ahead."

I huffed at my indignity, but allowed him to continue. I was very tired and I knew I was sick. Charon was putting himself at risk, even if he _did_ have Mei watching her pip-boy.

"Well, how much longer until we are there?" I asked.

"We should be arriving around sundown," he stated. "That is, if we can find the garage. We don't know exactly where it is."

I nodded, and we lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. Mei kept glancing down at her pip-boy every minute or two, and I checked mine as well.

"My radar is picking up something up ahead," Mei stated. "But my pip-boy can't get a clear reading on it."

"I'm getting about five blips on mine," I stated. "Your settings need to be adjusted if you can't make them out. I'll look at it when we stop for lunch."

"'Kay," she said while making sure her assault rifle was in working order.

Charon put me down and I pulled my plasma rifle out. Charon also pulled his gun out. We all held them at the ready while we approached the people on my pip-boy. There were two raider-like people, but they didn't shoot at us. There were three more wastelanders behind them with collars on. Slavers.

I nodded stiffly at them, trying my best to ignore the pleading looks coming from the slaves. We didn't want any trouble, especially with my condition. I felt a tug in my heart, telling me to free them, but I knew I couldn't. Someday, somehow, but not today.

"This means we are close to Evergreen Mills," Charon stated. "If we come across any more groups, we should ask if they know where the garage is, but be cautious."

Mei and I nodded. In fact, we came across another group of slavers not too long afterwards. They had no slaves with them, but they had odd guns and collars at the ready. I approached them, gun at the ready.

"You know where a garage is that's supposed to be nearby?" I questioned.

"What's it to ya?" one asked, a lustful gleam in his eye.

I didn't really want to tell them why we were headed there, but I needed to know.

"They bothering you, Mistress?" Charon inquired, closing in on the slaver that asked.

"No, Charon," I played along "Thank you."

He grunted and fell back behind me. The slaver seemed to have backed down.

"I have business to do there," I said. "Do you know or not?"

"Yeah," he stated. "If you have a map-"

"No problem," I cut him off while pulling the one I had up on my pip-boy.

"See you around, maybe," I said before nodding to Mei and Charon.

I was honestly surprised that Mei had actually kept to herself during that ordeal. When the slaver gave me that look, I thought for sure one of the two would be dead. I was thankful that Charon had intervened when he did.

"Well, we have our heading," I stated. "We need to go north, northwest."

I pointed in the appropriate direction, but it was lunch time, so we stopped for a meal. While we ate, I looked at Mei's pip-boy. Her color balance was off, causing things to blend together. It was easily fixed, but it took me almost the whole break to fix it. I probably wouldn't have eaten unless Charon forced me to. I just wasn't hungry too often, and it seemed to make Charon worry. I didn't want him to, but he did.

With our direction fixated, we arrived about three hours later, much sooner than Charon had predicted. The garage was just a small dot on the horizon, but that was definitely it. We entered, and the only real source of light was the old vending machine in the corner. There were a couple radroaches and mole rats, but those were easily disposed of. The real problem was finding the hidden entrance to the Vault. I was exhausted and there was no light. The stench of the creatures we had killed penetrated the air, but I don't think my companions really noticed it.

"Kari, I think I've found something over here, but I need your light," Mei called from across the room.

I shone my light to where hers was, and there was some sort of electrical switch. She flipped it, and I jumped when part of the floor flipped open, revealing a staircase.

"I think we've found it," she commented as she began to descend the steps.

Charon and I were not too far behind her, but I was kind of nervous. I didn't know if we were walking into some trap or if it really was Vault 112. Is so, then this was where our dad was headed next, and I hoped he was still there if he made it.

Sure enough, there was a robot that handed us a Vault 112 jumpsuit and told us to enter the tranquility lounger. We followed the steps down into a room filled with a bunch of pods. As I glanced around in them, I noticed that there were people. When I looked into one, my heart soared. It was my father.

"Mei! Mei! He's here! He's right here!" I called. "Dad, can you hear me? Dad!"

"Kari, I don't think he can," she replied. "Check the terminal."

I nodded and went up to it. All it listed were his vitals, which were all in good order.

"Maybe one of use should go in the empty one," Mei suggested.

"I'll do it," I replied. "No offence, but I'm more technology savvy."

"True. I think you have to put on the jumpsuit to enter, though. That's what the robot said."

I nodded and put it on when they turned around. I opened up the case on an empty one and Charon helped me up. His hand lingered on mine for a moment. I caught his eye, and he had a concerned look on his face.

"Be cautious," he said.

"And good luck," Mei added. "Hope you find Dad in there."

"Thanks," I replied before sitting in the chair.

The case closed around me, and their faces blurred and shadowed. A television moved in front of me. It showed a picture of a pre-war neighborhood, and everything darkened. A bright light flashed from the TV before I blacked out.

When I opened my eyes, I was sitting on a bench like the one in the picture on the television. I glanced around. There was a boy selling lemonade, a girl watering flowers by the slide with a dog, and a few older people walking around, presumably their parents. When I stood up, something wasn't right. I looked down, and my clothes had changed. I was in some sort of pink pre-war dress and I was a lot shorter.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" a woman asked me.

I looked up, and she towered over me, as though I was... some sort of child.

"I-I'm-" I stopped talking and gasped. My voice was very high, as though I was ten again. The simulation must have changed me back to my ten-year-old body. "I'm looking for my dad. Have you seen him?"

"Oh, he's missing? Sorry, I haven't," she replied. "You could probably ask some of the other people, though."

I nodded, deciding it was probably best if I played along. The dog from the park spotted me and ran up to me, his tail wagging and tongue hanging out of his mouth. He stared at me with intelligent eyes and nudged my pip-boy- _Wait, where's my pip-boy! When did I get this watch?_

"D-dad?"

The dog barked and jumped. I reached over and scratched behind his ears.

"Dad, what happened? How do we get out of here?"

He began to walk away, but stopped and looked back at me. I could tell he wanted me to follow him. I did, and he led me to the little girl on the playground.

"Oh, goody! Someone new to play with!" she said.

"What happened to my dad?" I questioned.

"Oh, he was your dad?" she asked. "I'm afraid he wouldn't play my games, so I turned him into something more... entertaining."

"Please, change him back!"

"Only if you play my games," she replied in a stuck-up voice. "For my first game, I want you to make Timmy cry!"

"Wh-what?"

"You heard me. Go make him cry."

"Why?"

"Because I want to be entertained, now go!" she demanded. "I don't care how, now do it!"

I frowned, but I had no choice. I assumed that the boy selling lemonade was Timmy.

"Hi! I'm Timmy!" he greeted. "What's your name?"

"I'm Hikari," I replied. "What do you know about the girl over there?"

"Her? That's Betty," he stated. "She's not very nice. She laughs at stuff that isn't funny."

"What's her problem?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. All of the adults love, her, though."

"Hey, did you know that your parents are getting a divorce?" I questioned.

"Wh-What? No!" he shouted, tears threatening to overflow.

"Yeah, I overheard them talking earlier. They said it's because of you."

"No! Mommy! Daddy! No!"

I felt terrible as I saw the tears spill down the little boy's face. I suppressed my maternal instincts and returned to Betty.

"It's done," I stated. "Now turn my dad back and let us do."

"Oh, no. I'm not through yet. We still have more games to play!"

"No, I did what you wanted, now let us go!"

"I'm afraid I can't do zat," Betty said, but with an old man's voice that had a German accent. "You see, I grow tired of all of ze peace and quiet here. You vill create entertainment for me before you shall be allowed to leave."

"Wh-who are you?"

"I am Doctor Braun," he stated. "I run this place, and I hold the key to get out of here."

"Then let my dad and me go!"

"First, I want you to break up the Rockwell's marriage," he said in the little girl's voice. "I hear that they are close, but they will not do it themselves without a bit of prompting, but don't kill them. That would ruin the fun!"

I sent a glare her way before storming off. I hated what I was being forced to do, but it was the only way to leave. I found the Rockwell house and entered. I watched them interact without my presence being known. They seemed to be arguing about someone named Martha. Apparently, Mrs. Rockwell thought that Mr. Rockwell had been unfaithful with her. I slipped out and found Mrs. Steward's house.

I found my way upstairs. Sitting on the bed was a pair of very frilly underclothing. I picked it up and stowed it in my dress. I placed it in the basement of the Rockwell's and found Mrs. Rockwell.

"There's... There's something I think you should see in the basement," I said as I approached her.

"The basement? What were you doing down there?"

"Please, it's important!"

"Well, okay, sweetie."

I led her to the spot where I had placed the underwear. She gasped.

"Oh, those aren't yours?" I questioned innocently.

"Oh," she grumbled. "Robert!"

She stormed back upstairs, and I watched the event unfold. Mrs. Rockwell broke up her marriage with Mr. Rockwell, and she ran over to the Henderson residence. I returned to Braun and he greeted me with a sadistic grin.

"Very entertaining," he said in his Germanic voice before switching to the other voice. "Now, I want you to kill Mabel Henderson."

"No, I want out," I demanded. "I don't want to do any more of your dirty work."

"I'm afraid you have no choice," Betty said. "Now go kill her, but make it interesting. Just beating her to death will not suffice."

I felt terrible for the things I had done to the innocent people, but I had no choice. I had to do it if I wanted to get out. Mabel Henderson, from what I had heard, made wonderful pies and had trouble with her robot. I snuck into her house and found her oven in the kitchen. I took a look at it and discovered how it worked. I tinkered with it and rigged it to explode if she tried to light it. I left the house and found her chatting with Mrs. Nussbaum.

"Mrs. Henderson, I hear you make wonderful pies," I stated. "Would you... would you please make one for me?"

I wanted to cry, knowing I was sentencing her to death, but I held them back. I had to get out, and my dad had to be changed back.

"Why, sure, honey! Let me just go get the oven ready."

I followed her back to her house, but I stayed a safe distance away from the oven. I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the explosion, but I still jumped and almost threw up then her blood spattered all over the wall, partially on me. I did my best to ignore it and report back to Betty.

"Wonderful! Great show!" Betty said. "Now, I have one last task for you to perform."

"Braun, please, just let me go," I begged. "I've done what you've asked, so please do as I have asked!"

"Well..."

* * *

~Mei's POV~

Charon watched her vitals on the computer, and I watched my sister. She grimaced a lot and she looked quite angry. Sometimes, I thought I saw her mouth moving, but all she did was watch the screen. Every time she grimaced, her blood pressure was up, and I had no idea what was going on. Charon muttered to himself a lot, but I couldn't really make out any of the words.

Sirens began to go off at different stations, and Kari's blood pressure was through the roof. She had a great look of pain splashed across her face, and tears fell down her face. I needed to get her out of there, especially since Charon reported that all of the other's vitals were that of dead people. I banged on the chamber that encased my sister, but it did no good. A robo-brain approached me and pulled me off, despite my struggling.

I stopped, though, when her chamber made a hissing noise and the cover opened. Charon ran up and caught her as she fell out. She whimpered quietly as tears fell down her face. The stupid robot let me go and I rushed over to her.

"Kari," I called to her. "Kari, what happened?"

"Betty... Braun, rather, made me do terrible things," she whispered. "Made me... Made me kill everyone. I pleaded, begged that he let me go, but _only if I played his game_."

She quietly sobbed into Charon's armor, and another hissing sound came from across the room. I stood up and pulled my gun out, ready to shoot the person if they posed a threat. I dropped my gun when I was who it was.

"Dad!" I shouted as I ran across the room and embraced him. "Dad, we've missed you so much. Why did you leave?"

"Honey, I had to," he stated. "I had to come to project purity. You and your sister were safe there. Why did _you_ leave?"

"Well, the Overseer kinda went insane and tried to have us killed. That answer your question?"

He sighed. "Mei, I'm sorry. I had no idea that he would do that, and I apologize. Where is Hikari?"

"She's with our body guard," I stated. "She's pretty traumatized by what happened in there. What happened, anyway?"

"Doctor Braun made her kill everyone in there so we could leave," he answered. "She didn't want to, but if she wanted to leave, she had to."

"That sounds like Kari," I muttered. "Anyway, Dad, this is Charon, our body guard that has kept us alive since we left."

"Well, Mr. Charon, it is nice to meet you," Dad said as he extended his hand. "I thank you for keeping my daughters alive. I know that they can be quite the handful."

Charon scoffed, but returned the handshake. "Don't I know."

Kari interrupted and latched on to Dad. He returned the embrace and held her while I went to retrieve my gun. Charon watched the situation rather awkwardly before I rejoined the group. Kari wiped her eyes, a smile on her face. Maybe this was exactly what she needed. She needed Dad, a lot more than I did. He said something about Project Purity and returning to Rivet City. We decided to join him, but Kari insisted on stopping by Megaton to pick up Bryan and spend the night. Charon grumbled to himself when we reached Megaton and sat in our house. Wadsworth made us all sweet rolls and Salisbury steaks for dinner. After we were finished, we all headed to bed, but only after Charon remade the make-shift bed.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I had never slept better, my illness aside. My dad was back, Mei seemed to be in a good mood, and we would finally be able to give Bryan a real home, if Vera would take him in. I hoped that she would. It only took us a day and a half to reach Rivet City, and while Dad talked with the scientists, Charon, Bryan, and I went to find Vera at the Weatherly Hotel.

"Oh, hello again," she greeted. "How can I help you?"

"Well, do you remember Bryan Wilks?"

"Yes, I do," she stated. "What about him?"

"Well, Grayditch was burned to the ground, and his father was killed. He needs a home, and we were wondering if you would take him in," I replied.

"Oh, of course! The poor dear," she said. "Where is he?"

"He's waiting right outside. Do you want us to send him in?"

She nodded, and Charon and I turned to fetch him.

"She said she'll take you in!" I exclaimed.

His whole face lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah, come on. She wants to see you now."

"Thank you, for everything," he said before running in.

I couldn't help but smile at his happiness and enthusiasm. Charon and I left them to things and headed back to the lab. On the way there, by headache got progressively worse. I felt sweat prick though my skin, and the room began to spin, and I felt myself falling. I closed my eyes in preparation for the fall. Suddenly, I felt a strong pair of arms under my back. I opened them and saw Harkness staring down at me.

"You okay?" he asked as he helped me back up.

"Y-yeah. Thanks," I replied. "I'm just getting over a bit of a cold, and it caught me off guard is all."

"So, did you ever find your dad?"

"Yes, actually. I was just going to see him. When I left, he was about to talk to Dr. Li. I don't really know how things went."

"I see. So, what is this cold you were talking about?"

"It's nothing," I replied. "Charon warned me not to go out in the rain, but I ignored him and went out anyway."

"That storm was over a week ago. You're still sick?"

"Yeah, but I'm fine. Anyways, how have you been?"

He shrugged. "Well, nobody has sent for me again. I guess that's always a good thing. That aside, everything is well with me."

I found myself smiling as our eyes locked. He smiled back, and every time he did so, I completely forgot that he was an android.

"Well, I should let you get back to your father," he said. "I know how determined you were to find him, and I'd hate to keep you from him."

I nodded. "See you around."

Charon disliked it when I talked with Harkness, ever since Mei had told him what she did. I let it go, though. There was no going back in time to stop it or anything. As far as I knew, no time machines had been built, even in pre-war times.

Dad approached Charon and I, a pleading look on his face.

"Honey, I'm afraid we need your help," he said. "I know you aren't in the best of health, but we need you three to clear out the Super Mutants in the Jefferson Memorial before we can resume Project Purity."

"Alright," I replied. "I just need to find Mei and we can get on it."

"Thank you, sweetheart," he responded. "I knew we could count on you."

It didn't take us too long to clean out the place. Most of them were down in the lower levels of the memorial, but they were easily disposed of. We gave dad and the other scientists the all clear, and they moved in. They immediately began to set up, but they needed power. They had Mei and I do odd jobs to help out, but I knew I could be of more assistance, provided the correct instructions.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

Hikari seemed much happier now that he father had returned. Her health also seemed to be improving, so I wondered if it was an emotional problem rather than a physical one. Mei was unfazed by the change, but she was not quite as rude as before. The twins' father was a pleasant enough man, but I could tell that he favored my mistress over her sister.

I followed them through the tunnels and watched over them as they did small jobs around the memorial, even though my presence was not necessary. I felt like I was unneeded, and I wished that I could leave, but I was tied to Hikari, not just by contract. There was something else that bonded me to her, something emotional. She was one of the very few people that had shown me kindness, despite my condition and contract. Most people took full advantage of it, but Hikari had not.

I watched as she walked a little bit too close to the tanks filled with water, and I saw it happen before it actually did. She lost her balance, falling straight into the tub. She struggled, and didn't resurface. I glanced at Mei, who was going pale.

"She can't swim!" Mei shouted. "Aren't you going to get her?"

I hurried and stripped off what would weigh me down before I dove into the water. I grabbed a hold of her before jetting back to the top. She sputtered and coughed up some water before we got back onto dry land. Mei had a towel waiting and she handed it to Hikari, who was shivering profusely.

"Charon, why don't you go take a look around?" Mei said. "I can handle this, so maybe someone else could use your help."

Hikari nodded and muttered a word of thanks before I grabbed my armor and other things and took my leave. I entered the gift shop and noticed a man, Garza, I believe, struggle with a heavy piece of electrical equipment. It seemed as though he would injure himself just lifting it, so I walked up wordlessly and lifted it off of the ground. It was pretty heavy, and I was surprised he had made it as far as he did.

"Thanks," he muttered. "I need it placed in the rotunda. Dr. Li wants it for whatever reasons."

I nodded and he opened the door for me. I walked up the steps and placed it in front of the rude scientist.

"Oh. That needs to go over there," she said, pointing to a bare spot against the wall. "James, how is the power grid going?"

"Great. They got it up and running. Now, they need to hit the breakers."

I moved the piece of equipment into place before Dr. Li instructed me to fetch her a medical clipboard. I did not like her, but my mistress had asked me to assist the others, so I obliged. She distractedly took it from me without another word.

"Thank God Catherine is gone," I heard her mutter under her breath. "Now I just need to get rid of James' brats..."

Anger ripped through me. This... this scientist wanted to get rid of my mistress and her sister. After all that they had done for them? I was not in control over my actions as I lifted her off of the ground, pressing her throat against the wall.

"You will _not_ get rid of my employer _or_ her sister," I growled. "They are not to be harmed in _any_ way, or you will be the one to pay. Is that clear?"

"Charon, what are you doing!" the twins' father shouted. "Let go of Madison!"

"She was threatening my employer," I grunted. "I will not let that go unpunished. No one shall harm Hikari or Mei while I am still breathing."

I let go, and the woman fell to the floor, gasping for breath.

"Is... Is this true, Madison?"

She didn't get a chance to answer, as gunshots went off in the gift shop. They were no ordinary shots, either. Those were energy weapons. I rushed off to find Hikari. She needed me, and I would let no harm befall her while I was on the job.

I blasted a couple of power-armored men before I stumbled into the twins. They were soaking, and Hikari was truly shaken by the events. She practically collapsed when she saw me. I supported her as I escorted them back to where their father was.

~Hikari's POV~

When I saw the flying machine, some kind of helicopter, I believe, land, I knew it meant trouble. Mei and I rushed out when power-armored men jumped out of it. We slid down the tunnels, and when we came to the exit, a few of them had already penetrated into the building. They began to shoot at us on the spot, but we returned fire. I was scared more than I had been fighting the Super Mutants when I realized that we would have to jump into the water below to get back upstairs.

I closed my eyes and fell, a weird, uncomfortable feeling taking root in my stomach as I dropped. I splashed into the water and struggled to the surface. Mei pulled me up and out of the water, and we pressed onward. Mei couldn't kill any more of the soldiers since her gunpowder was soaked from the fall. I could hear a shotgun not too far ahead, and I knew exactly who it belonged to. I ran up to the ghoul and buried my face in his armor, loosing track of where I was.

Charon shot a few of the soldiers before we entered the rotunda where my father was. I saw a man in a weird coat locked in the center with another scientist and soldier. Dr. Li stood out by the window.

"I asked you to hand over the controls," the man inside said with an odd accent. "Don't make me ask again."

"Colonel- is it colonel?" Dad said. "I'm sorry. This place is non-operational. It is of no value to the Enclave."

"I have asked you politely," the man said as he pulled out his pistol and shot down the scientist next to Dad.

I flinched, but began to shake with fright. Charon's hand was on my shoulder, and I placed my hand on top of his.

"Yes Colonel," Dad said with disdain. "Let me just fix this for you."

"Finally, you are seeing reason," the colonel replied. "Hurry up."

Dad turned around and began to type things on the keypad.

"Are you done yet?"

"Almost finished..."

I stared in anticipation, waiting for my father to rejoin us. Suddenly, there was an explosion behind the glass, and some sort of radioactive gas was released with it. My Geiger counter slowly ticked away.

"N-no!" I shouted. "Dad, no!"

The colonel and soldier fell to the ground. Dad managed to walk over to the glass in front of us.

"R-run," he choked out before he coughed and collapsed on the ground.

"No! Dad, no!" I shouted, banging against the glass, tears streaming down my face. "Dad, don't leave us! No! NO! Dad!"

I felt Charon try to restrain me, but I pushed him away, continually shouting for my father. Charon's arms forcibly wrapped around me, and he slung me over his shoulder as I kicked and screamed.

"No! Charon, put me down! Dad! DAD!"

"Kid, he's gone!" Charon shouted. "We have to go!"

"But I can't leave him! Dad!"

"There is an escape route that leads to the Citadel, but I need you three to clear the way. There may be mutated creatures down there, but I am unsure," Dr. Li stated. "We must hurry before more come."

I kept struggling, and I was close to ordering Charon to put me down, but I wouldn't, no matter how upset I was. I sobbed noisily as Charon carried me down the ladder.

"Kid, I know you're upset, but you need to calm down," Charon stated. "You'll attract every kind of creature here."

I stifled my noises, but the tears kept flowing. Dad was gone. He had been the one to take care of me and love me ever since I was little, and he was gone. I wanted him back, but I couldn't. It was the Enclave's fault. They didn't know when to leave us alone.

"Hikari, I need you to walk," Charon said. "I need to help protect the group."

I sniffled and nodded as he put me down. I walked slowly, behind the group.

"Kid, you need to toughen up," Daniel said. "So what if your dad died? People die in the wastes all the time. He was an ass, anyway."

Before I had time to react, I heard a loud crack as Charon's fist collided with his jaw.

"You will have more respect for my employer and her father," Charon said before taking his shotgun out.

I knew I shouldn't, but I smirked at the guy's pain. He got what he deserved, and I took out my gun, ready for any kind of monster that stood in my way. Unfortunately, the only creatures that seemed to inhabit the tunnel were feral ghouls. I still took a sadistic pleasure in turning them into glowing piles of goo.

When it came time to fight the Enclave soldiers up ahead, I felt a lot better. I shot them, and most turned to goo. The ones that didn't had the pleasure of dying in agony as their skin melted off. Gosh, I would have to thank Harkness again for the gun.

We came to the end, finally, and the light was nearly blinding after being in the dark tunnel. A paladin stood at the gate with a sentry bot.

"Let us in," Dr. Li demanded.

"Can't do that, civilian," he said in a haughty tone. "Not allowed to."

"Please, we have sick and wounded people in need of medical attention," she pleaded.

"Nope. Sorry." He was not the _least_ bit concerned or sorry.

"You will let us in," I stated as I walked up to him.

"Or what?" he demanded with a jerk-ish smirk.

He didn't take me seriously, but very few people did. Mei was one of the few, and I knew what she was thinking before I acted. I launched myself at him, trying to cause him as much pain as possible. I was pulled off of him by Charon. I surveyed what I had done. The paladin had a bloody lip and blood was splurting out if his nose. I smirked, and he glared at me. I think it was Charon that kept him at bay.

"Lyons! I know you're in there!" Dr. Li shouted into the speaker. "Let us in!"

Suddenly, the metal in front of us groaned to life before it opened for us. We entered, and were greeted by an elderly man and a couple of knights. Dr. Li explained our situation, and he offered his apologies to Mei and me for the death of our father. Being reminded of it brought the pain back up and made tears threaten to overflow. We were each taken to a room where we would stay the night. I collapsed on my bed, burying my face in the pillow. I wanted to crawl in to a dark cave and never come out. The tears overflowed and were absorbed by the pillow. I sobbed for quite some time before I heard a knock on my door. I wiped my eyes and tried to compose myself, but it was useless.

"Y-yes?"

The door opened a crack, and Charon entered with a tray of food.

"You need to eat," he stated.

"I'm n-not hungry," I told him.

"I don't care. You haven't eaten all day."

I took a bit of mutfruit and ate that, but it seemed to upset my stomach, so I refused to eat any more.

"Hikari, you are hurt," he stated. "Not physically, but emotionally. You want your father. You think it is unfair that he was taken away from you when you just got him back, but there is nothing you can do, nor _was_ there. I am here for you, should you need me."

He got up to leave, but I grabbed a hold of his arm. He looked down at me with his milky-blue eyes.

"Stay with me?" I asked.

He nodded and set the tray on a desk on the other side of the room before he sat down on the bed. I curled up into a ball and cried on his lap. He took me in his arms so I could cry on his shoulder. He ran his fingers through my hair, much like my dad used to. It was comforting, but also saddening. I wanted Dad, but like Charon said, I couldn't. There were no do-overs or time machines. His death played fresh in my mind over and over. I couldn't stop it, no matter how hard I tried. I was grateful that I had Charon to help me though the tough time, but I wished that none of it had happened.

I think I fell asleep, because I was lying down in my bed, and Charon was beside me. I curled up against him, letting out the pain and tears that I had held in during my short time in the wastes.

* * *

After notes:

Yay, chapter 9! I'm still heavily editing chapter 10, though, so I don't know when it'll be posted.

So, I was smart, had almost the whole thing edited, and accidentally clicked X instead of minimize. I died.

Anyway, I will answer any one question about this fic to the first person to PM me with what caused Hikari's seizure back there. I know what, but that's cause I'm taking psych. We're learning about it, now. I find it rather interesting, to be honest. Oh, and another question answered if you can tell me what causes Hikari to be able to heal. Only taking the first person for each of my questions, though. Winner(s) will be announced... when I get to it.

So, please drop me a review/PM and let me know what you think about this chapter/the story in general. Much appreciated, Hikari Mei.


	10. Chapter 10: Two Ways

Quick Note: I realized I should probably be putting a disclaimer in here, so here goes:

I do not own Fallout 3 or the characters involved. If I did, then I wouldn't be writing a fanfic. I'd be relaxing on a private beach somewhere warm surrounded by servants serving me drinks in coconuts with little umbrellas. Sadly, I only own Hikari and Mei. That's it. Therefore, I am sitting on my bed surrounded by cold with no drink, posting this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 10: Two Ways

I didn't leave my room, I didn't check my pip-boy, I wouldn't even eat unless Charon had made me. Mei hadn't talked to me since we left the Citadel, and I had sent Doc Church away. I was still sick, but I was deeply depressed. I wanted my dad back. Most of my time at home was spent alone, but that was what I wanted. I wanted solitude in my time of despair. I didn't want people feeling sorry for me or trying to help.

I didn't want to cry any more. Even if I wanted to, all of my tears had dried up. I was miserable, and I wallowed in my self-pity. Dad, why did you have to leave me? We had just gotten you back, and you left us for the project our mother had cared so much about. Weren't you supposed to take care of your kids first? Wasn't that part of being a dad?

There was a knock on my door, and it opened without me saying anything. Charon carried in a tray of food wordlessly and stood there until I ate. Sometimes, I wished he didn't care so much. When he left, I was flipping through the holotapes that I had in my pip-boy. I stopped when I came across one that said, "Note from Dad." I was surprised, but I played it.

"_Hold on Jonas, I need to record this first_," I heard my dad say. "_I... I don't really know how to tell you both this. I hope you'll understand, but I know you might be angry. I thought about it for a long time, but in the end I decided it was best for you two not to know. So many things could have gone wrong and there's really no telling how the overseer will react when he finds out. It's best if he can blame everything on me. Obviously you already know that I'm gone. It was something I needed to do. You're both adults now. You're ready to be on your own. Maybe someday things will change and we can see each other again. I can't tell you why I left or where I'm going. I don't want you to follow me. God knows life in the vault isn't perfect, but at least you'll be safe. Just knowing that will be enough to keep me going."_

I was surprised when I heard another familiar voice, "_Don't mean to rush you, Doc, but I'd feel better if we got this over with."_

_"Okay. Go ahead. Goodbye. I love you two."_

The tears that had been dried for nearly a week overflowed when I heard my father and Jonas speaking. I played a couple more times before I fell asleep listening to his voice.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

Poor kid. She was severely depressed and needed someone there for her. She was quick to help someone in need, but when she needed someone, she pushed everyone away. I heard a voice from the bedroom and pressed the side of my face against the metal door. I could tell that it was a recording of her father, and another man I did not know. She began to sob and she played it a few more times before I heard it stop, and so did she. I opened the door, and she was lying on the bed. I sighed and covered her with the blanket that she had and wiped her face gently with a wet cloth. Her face was tear-stained and she was still sick. I knew she was hiding it, but she refused to see a doctor. I think she once said that her father was a doctor, and I believe she was unconsciously shutting out anyone with connections to him. Mei would be the best person for her to talk to, but there was something wrong with Mei, too.

The blue-eyed twin refused to talk to anyone other than one-word sentences. She walked around town, mostly, just wandering. I swear that she should have skin cancer from the amount of time that she has spent outside. She was depressed and quite saddened by the loss of her father, but she wasn't letting it out like Hikari. They both needed to work it through together, but neither one would listen to the other.

I sighed and leaned against the wall opposite the bed of my employer, praying for something, anything, to happen to get them back to the way they were before their father's passing.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I was so tired of feeling this... this pain that ripped through me that was the result of my father being ripped out of my life. I wanted him back, and it wasn't fair. Before he died, I had hope that he was alive, and that alone kept me going. Now that he was dead... I didn't know what to do. I felt so empty without him. He was the one that had guided me and took care of me, and I wanted him back.

I slipped out of room and wandered around town. I wondered what had happened to the saloon without Moriarty, Gob, and Nova, so I decided to check it out. The bar looked pretty much the same, but there were fewer people. A man stood behind the counter, but it wasn't the same without Nova smoking in the corner or Gob's smiling face. Nothing was the same anymore. I approached the bar and sat on a stool. I knew we didn't have much money left, but I needed something to make me forget.

"Something strong," I said, placing the caps on the counter. "Still in the bottle, please."

I lifted the bottle of whiskey to my mouth and took a large gulp. I sputtered, and it burned my throat, but I kept on drinking, ignoring my conscience. I wanted to forget my pain, and the alcohol seemed to do just that. I lost sense of who I was and all of my feelings. I wanted to do something reckless. I wanted to live on the dangerous side. If Mei knew the thoughts that were running through my head, she'd probably wonder what happened to the real me.

I soon finished the bottle and purchased another one, not caring anymore. I downed about half of it before the door burst open. I saw Charon walk over to me. Even in my drunken state, I was able to tell that he was furious with me. I had ditched him when he let his guard down, and I was sure I worried him.

"Hikari Leslie Mansen!" he roared.

I flinched when he used my full name. I hadn't heard it since I accidentally broke the old picture frame that held a picture of my mother back in the vault. Dad was pretty mad, but he calmed down pretty quickly.

"I took my eye off of you for a second and you run off to get drunk?" he half-shouted. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you could get in when I am not there to protect you?"

All business. That's how he was. He was worried that he had violated his contract. That was what it was about. The stupid contract. He didn't really care. He didn't care about me, he didn't care about Mei, and he didn't even care about how much pain I was in. I turned back around to tune him out, taking another swig of vodka.

"Are you even listening to a word I am saying?"

"I'm trying not to," I told him. "Just leave me alone."

"No, I will not! It is my duty to protect you, and you are making it much more difficult than it needs to be!"

"Like you really care," I said into the bottle. "It's all business with you. You protect me because you can't stand not following that damn contract."

He growled before heaving me over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" I shouted as I tried to kick and punch any part of him I could.

"We are going home, now," he said in a low voice. "I am not letting you out of my sight again."

Why couldn't he just let me be? Couldn't he see that I wanted to forget all of my problems?

He didn't put me down until we were back at home, and he put me roughly onto the chair. I glared at him, and felt slightly sick to my stomach from all of the alcohol in my system.

"You were irresponsible," he lectured. "You were irrational, and you are not yourself. You need to have a better handle on your reasoning."

"You don't need to tell me these things," I spat. "I already know. I don't care."

"You must care," he continued. "If you are to survive this world. You have to be tough."

"Why should I, when I have _you_ to _look out for me."_

"You need to have an attitude adjustment," he said. "I am working to save your ass and keep you alive, and you seem to be trying pretty fucking hard to keep me from doing that job."

"Like you care," I argued. "It's just that stupid contract. That's all I am to you: A job. Nothing more. Why should you care? After all, I'm just a pain in the ass to you."

He growled. "Damn it, Hikari! Just... stop acting like such a little kid! You need to toughen up!"

"In case you haven't noticed, I just lost my dad, I've been kicked out of my home, I have no idea what I'm doing out here, and I have some angry ghoul chewing my ass who only gives a shit because I'm some... some... _job_ that he has! Do you have _any_ inkling about what I am going through?"

I felt tears begin to overflow from frustration, anger, and a deep sadness that seemed to bury itself in my heart. I wanted out of this life. I wanted back into my old one with my dad. I wanted him back, I wanted Mom, even though I never got to meet her. The way Dad talked about her, she would know exactly what to say...

"Kid... I'm sorry," Charon said with a sigh, his expression softening. "I... You have adapted well given your circumstances."

"You should be," I sniffled. "It's partially your fault I'm like this."

He nodded, and I was surprised when he picked me up gently and sat down in the chair, but a good kind of surprise. I curled up against him and continued to cry my eyes out, waiting for my heart to scab over from all of the emotional wounds.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

Hikari was mentally and emotionally unstable. I was used to the one that was always ready for the next challenge, that never objected to helping others, despite what may happen to herself. Now, she was being a selfish child, but I couldn't blame her. She had gone through more hardships in the past two months than most people in the wastes deal with in a few years. Still, things happen in the wastes, and people adjust. C'est la vie.

I held her in my arms, and she was quite warm, probably from the alcohol that her body was trying to rid itself of. Despite it being only mid-afternoon, she fell asleep not much later. I hoped that she would not have any kind of hangover when she woke. Kid already had enough on her plate to deal with. I sighed and carried her sleeping form upstairs to the bedroom so she could sleep better. When I tried to put her down, she gripped tightly to my armor. I stopped and stared at her, but she was still sleeping. I tried again, but she still clung. I sighed and sat on the bed, her form still in my arms. I lay down with her, hoping that she would eventually let go, but a small part of me hoped she wouldn't.

I hated to admit it, but I liked the feeling of truly being needed, even if it was coming from a small, fragile girl.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

Why? Why did Dad have to leave? Sure, the project meant a lot to Mom, but she was gone. He was living the ghost of his past. He claimed he found a way to make the water pure, but what did it matter that some other group of people wanted to do it? Why not let them? It sure would have saved us a hell of a lot of trouble. I wished he had just handed over the controls, and he would still be here. Kari and I wouldn't be the way we are. I wished he hadn't caused the radioactive explosion that he did, but there was no going back. That was what sucked. I had no control over the situation, and it really put it into perspective of how small and insignificant I was.

I glanced down at my pip-boy when it beeped, saying a new signal was found. It said, "Vault 101 Distress Signal." I played it. At first, it was the usual robot that always played on the radio, but he said something about it being an automated distress signal. Amata's voice began shortly after it.

"It feels like you two left the Vault a long time ago, but, I know you're still out there," she said. "I just hope you're still alive to hear this. Things got worse after you left. My dad, well, he went insane. If you can hear this, please stop looking for your dad and help stop mine. I changed the door password to my name. If you're hearing this, and you still care enough to help me, you should remember it."

The message replayed itself before I turned it off. I sighed and went back to the house. Kari would want to know, and I was sure that even in her state, she would want to help. The sun was high in the sky, so we had plenty of time to get there. I entered the house, and Kari was still up in her room. She looked exhausted, and she looked at me like an abused puppy.

"Kari, I... I found a signal, and I think you should hear it."

She stared at me quizzically before I turned it on. She seemed more alive than she had been since Dad died, and I knew immediately that she was ready to help.

"We have to help her," she stated in a cracking voice. "She was our only friend, so we can't just leave her."

"Thought you'd say that," I replied with a smirk. "When do you want to leave?"

"After I shower and change," she said. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yep," I replied. "And don't forget to take a rad-x."

She nodded and left with Charon. It seemed that we were back in business.

Upon arriving at the Vault, the metal gate was still sealed like always. Kari typed in the code, and the door opened with the same loud, irritating metal-on-metal sound as the last time we opened it. There were a couple radroaches in the entry way, but they were very easily disposed of.

"What the- Stop right there!" an officer said. "I don't know how you got in here but-"

"Officer Gomez!" Kari shouted as she ran up to him.

"Wait a minute... Hikari? Mei? God, I didn't recognize you two with all of the dirt and grime! Boy, you two have changed!"

"We got Amata's message, and headed right over," she said.

"What message?"

"The emergency message that she sent out?" I questioned. "Wait, you don't know about it?"

"No and I think you should keep that from the... What the heck is that behind you!"

"Officer Gomez, relax! This is Charon," Kari stated. "Don't worry, he's just our body guard, and he's a ghoul. Some people have been exposed to too much radiation, and instead of dying, they pretty much become what Charon is."

"O-okay," he said, a bit unsure. "As I was saying I'd keep the information about the message away from the Overseer. He's pretty mad with power right now."

Kari and I nodded.

"Anyway, any luck finding your dad?"

Kari's face was downcast, and she looked as though she was about to cry, so it was me who answered.

"We did, but... He passed about a week ago."

"I'm sorry," Gomez said. "He was a good man."

"Anyway, where can we find Amata?" I asked.

"She and her gang of rebels are on the lower levels," he stated. "They're trying to open the Vault, and I think it's a good idea, but the Overseer is to blind with power to see that we are all dying in here. Kari, you were always the peacemaker. Maybe you can find some sort of mutual agreement?"

She nodded. "Can you take us to them?"

"Sure," he said. "For... For old time's sake."

We followed Gomez down into the lower levels of the Vault, and another officer almost shot Freddie, but, to be honest, I couldn't care less. Kari was worried, though. The officers that saw Charon looked as though they were about to wet their pants, and I smirked. This was going to be a fun visit.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

Everything in the Vault had changed. It was like they were having a civil war, and the whole place was covered in graffiti and toppled décor. The lights were very dim, and most of them had been broken. Maybe it was adjusting to the bright sun outside that had made them seem so dim.

"I'd take you farther, but, the rebels would probably attack me," Officer Gomez stated. "I'm sure you can find her from here."

"Thanks," I said before wandering further in.

"Well, well," a familiar voice echoed through the hallway. "Look who's showed up now."

"Butch," I greeted with disdain. "We came to talk to Amata."

"Well I for one am completely surprised that you two made it back here," he went on. "And boy, the wasteland did you two _good_."

I felt his hands on my hips in the dark, but he was thrown off in an instant.

"The hell is that?" he exclaimed.

"This? This is Charon. He is our loyal body guard. Don't mess with him unless you want a missing limb," Mei said. "And by messing with us, you're messing with him."

"Charon is a ghoul," I stated. "He has been exposed to a lot of radiation. That's all. He's completely human, but ghouls are usually a lot stronger than us."

"Wh-Whatever. Amata's back there."

I nodded and we went back further.

"M-My god! It really is you! You actually came!"

"Amata!" I shouted as I ran up to her and embraced her. "I've missed you a lot, but it seems things are a lot worse down here than when we left."

"Well, thanks for coming. Everything's gone crazy since you left. Now, you can help us set things right again."

"What's going on down here, anyway?" Mei questioned. "We've got the fact that your dad's gone insane with power, but that's pretty much it."

"We want to open the Vault," she stated. "It turns out, that the Vault wasn't always closed! I overheard Wally's father saying that we never should have let you two and your dad in. It used to be open, but they closed it when we were infants and swore to hide it. But... Keeping that lie meant Jonas's death, and even though we know the truth, my dad still won't let us make our own decisions."

"Sounds like your dad needs to be stopped," Mei said.

"You're right. It's not like we're going to completely abandon the Vault or anything. Well, I think Butch wants to, but he's too big of a coward to do it on his own," she replied. "Most of us have accepted that it means death out there, but it was enough for you and your dad to leave, so there must be something worthwhile out there."

At the mention of my dad, my heart sunk.

"What's wrong?"

"My... Dad, he... He died about a week ago," I said. "Radioactive explosion to protect his work... The whole reason he left the Vault."

"O-oh. I'm sorry."

"Anyway, why is the Overseer doing this?" Mei inquired.

"I don't know. Maybe he thinks he's protecting us, but he's only condemning us."

"I'll talk to him," I stated. "I'll come up with something."

"Just... don't hurt him or do anything rash, okay?"

"Amata, you know me better than that," I told her. "Violence isn't my thing."

She smiled. "You're right. I was just afraid the wasteland had changed you or something."

"It has, but for the better," I assured her. "I'm going to find a non-violent solution to this problem."

"I can't thank you enough," she said. "Thank you."

I nodded and Mei, Charon, and I turned to leave. I remembered exactly where the Overseer's office was as though it were only yesterday we were fleeing the Vault. I could picture just how everything looked, I could hear the clicking of the radroaches' mandibles, the blaring sirens, and the Overseer's voice... everything.

The office was just as it was before we had left, and the Overseer himself stood over by the window, looking out at the ruins of the Vault below.

"Well, I see you two have returned," he said without turning around. "Done with the dust and ruins of the wasteland, are you? Given up looking for daddy? Thought you could slink back in, like a couple of teens missing curfew?"

I had just come to talk, and he had already begun to criticize me.

"Well, that's too bad," he continued. "You two have no future in this Vault. You're tainted."

"With your leadership, no one in this Vault had much of a future," Mei scoffed.

"That's where you're wrong, young lady. By locking down this Vault, I'm protecting its future. In fact, I was protecting its future when I had to make those unpleasant choices you two and your father left. I only wish I could have stopped your father before he left."

"So you murdered Jonas for the Vault's 'Protection?'" I demanded.

"Yes, I did."

"You lying, murdering-"

"Watch your tongue, young lady," he snapped, turning around.

He stopped short when he came face to... well, chest with Charon. I could tell that he was intimidated by Charon, and I felt an uncharacteristic smirk tug at my lips.

"This is Charon," I said calmly. "He is our new body guard, and he will protect us no matter what. Try to harm us in any way, and you'll probably limp away with a bloody stump for a leg."

He frowned, but continued. "You are just like your father. You never think before you act-"

"Don't you _dare_ talk about my father or insult him!" I shouted.

"I am in charge here, young lady, and you will not interrupt me again. As I was saying, you never think before you act, and you have a certain... disregard for the rules, much like your father."

I don't really remember how it happened, but one moment, I was boiling with rage, and the next, I was on top of the Overseer on the ground, my fists stinging and burning as they made contact with his jaw two times. Charon was on me in an instant, pulling me off.

"Charon, put me down!"

"No," he grunted as I struggled against his grip.

"He insulted my father! I won't stand for that, not after everything he sacrificed!"

"Your father has sacrificed nothing compared to what I have," Amata's father said cockily as he stood up, wiping the blood that trickled down his chin.

I was surprised when Mei tackled him to the ground and proceeded to punch him several times, but it was a rather pleasing surprise. She stood up and spat on him.

"You will not insult either my father or Kari," she said in a deadly, low voice.

He stared back up at her, shocked by what had just happened. I wouldn't be surprised if she had dislocated or broken her jaw. She definitely had more muscle that I did, so her hits were probably a lot harder than mine.

Charon let me go, and I stood over him. "You will open the Vault for the others. It is their choice if they want to leave. You will not stop them or guilt them into staying. Do you understand?"

Slowly, he nodded. I left with Mei and Charon to go tell Amata of what had happened. I was sure she would be upset by what had taken place, but there was no changing what had happened. She would be able to live with it, and the Vault would remain open.

"How did it go?" Amata asked.

"Well... Not too good. You know how I kinda... have a bit of a temper?"

"Oh, God, what did you do?"

"Well, I think I may have broken his jaw, and if it wasn't before, I'm sure Mei did. He also probably has a broken nose, from the look of things," I added. "Maybe a black eye... or... two..."

"Mistress, are you alright?" Charon questioned.

"Y-yeah. Just a bit dizzy and out of breath."

"Perhaps you should lie down."

"No, I'm fine. It's passing."

The truth was, I was feeling worse with each passing day. I wondered if whatever I had was going to overtake me soon, but I ignored it and returned to Amata, who wore a fearful expression as she gazed at Charon.

"Don't worry about him," I told her. "He won't harm anyone unless they harm us first."

She nodded, but didn't take her eyes off of him.

"Anyway, the Vault's going to be opened up," Mei intervened. "Took him a bit of convincing, though."

"Thank you," Amata said. "However, as much as I am grateful for your intervention, I'm afraid that too many people blame you for what happened."

"What are you saying?" I questioned, but I had a feeling that I knew what was coming.

"I-I'm sorry. You're a hero but you have to leave," she replied. "I apologize, but it is for the best of the Vault."

"That's... That's not fair!"

"I'm sorry. I really am, but I have to ask you to leave, and never come back."

"Amata, be reasonable!" I pleaded. "We just saved your lives, and you're kicking us out?"

"Your father started this mess," she said. "If he hadn't had left, none of this would have happened, and he would still be alive. We all would."

I was already furious because of the Overseer's comment, but Amata... She had been my best friend. We were almost as close as my sister and I were.

"I thought you would understand," I told her. "I guess I was wrong. I thought that we meant something to you, but I was wrong. A real friend wouldn't do this. A real friend would realize how much pain the other was in, and help despite what others felt. I guess our friendship meant nothing to you."

"No, it's not like that-"

"No, don't worry. I get it," I interrupted. "I'll be leaving now, and you'll never hear from me again."

I turned around and walked away as calmly as I could as I repressed my anger towards her.

"What was that all about?" Butch questioned.

"Nothing," I told him. "You're free to leave the Vault now, but don't follow us. We have important and dangerous things to do."

He stared at me curiously, but I ignored him and kept walking. He would either leave or he wouldn't.

I turned down a hallway, which led to Dad's old office. Everything in there had been turned over, and I felt the rage boil back up inside, but I suppressed it. I bent over by the desk that held our mother's favorite verse and the picture of our father, Mei, and me from our tenth birthday party. We each held our BB gun, large smiles on all of our faces. I felt a sad smile form at seeing the picture, and I tucked it away into my pip-boy, along with my mother's favorite verse: _I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. Revelations 21:6_. That was when I noticed something I hadn't before.

"Mei," I called softly. "Mei, is that a safe on the wall?"

"Looks like it," she replied. "Want me to crack it?"

"Yeah."

It took her a few seconds before it sprang open. Inside was a holotape and the picture of mom that I had broken the frame for, along with a baseball that Mei and I used to play with, the schematics for some gun, and some caps. Mei grabbed the holotape and began to play it.

_Well, here we are. Nestled all safe and snug inside Vault 101. It's so cold down here. Colder still with Catherine gone... Oh, Catherine... I so wish you were here with me. How the hell am I supposed to do this by myself? Live down in this hole. Take care of our children... But this is our life now, so I guess I'd better get used to it. The Overseer who runs the place is an overbearing bully, but I've dealt with worse._

I felt a pang of sadness in my chest when I heard Dad's voice, but Mei reminded me that we needed to leave. I stood up and gathered more of Dad's old things, including his old bobble head that sat on his desk and his picture of all of us at our fifth and eighteenth birthday parties.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

Kari and I had given them their freedom, and what did we get? A nice kick out the door. A, "Thanks, but now that we don't need your help anymore, leave us and don't come back! Have a nice day, hope to never see you again!" God, they needed a reality check. How would they survive? They wouldn't, at least, not without help. Either they would all die off in the Vault, or they would all be killed in the wastes. Either way, it seemed like they were doomed.

Kari and I entered the house with Charon in tow, and we had Wadsworth prepare some dinner for us. He made some insta-mash and some Salisbury steaks. We had a Nuka-Cola with it, but Kari only picked at it.

"Kari, what did you mean when you told Butch that we had things to do?" I asked.

"I want to help the Brotherhood," she responded. "I want to finish what Dad started, and I want to take my revenge on the Enclave for what they did. I will make them pay for what they have done, I swear it."

"But how will you do that?"

She took a deep breath before she answered, "When we were in the memorial, Dad told me what he had learned from Braun. All we need is a Garden of Eden Creation Kit, or a G.E.C.K. It was designed to use after the Great War to restore America. It's all we need to get the purifier up and running. The Brotherhood told me that they had located one in Vault 87, but they can't get near it because of all of the radiation. Apparently, it was hit by a nuclear bomb and it is still surrounded by a deadly amount of radiation."

She stopped for a moment when Charon forced her to eat.

"Well, how do they expect us to get it?" I wondered. "It's not like _we're_ more immune to it than them."

She swallowed before she resumed speaking. "Well, they believe there is a secret entrance to the Vault through a nearby set of caves, but they always get killed before they can get into it. It is presumably guarded by some well-supplied soldiers or survivors. It's all forted up, too. They believe that since we are small enough, we should be able to gain entrance stealthily."

"Why don't they send their own men in to get it?"

"I don't know, but I want to try," she stated. "I'm going to leave after tomorrow. I plan on stocking up before I we leave."

"We? No, I'm not getting involved with the Brotherhood. They only seem to cause trouble in their little crusades."

"So you're telling me to go alone?" she questioned.

"You've got Charon with you. Besides, I have full faith in you."

"Well, all right. This will be the first time separating for more than a day. You realize that?"

Now that she mentioned it, she was right. Kari and I had been together since birth, only to be separated for a day when I went to help Lucy and when she went off on her own to explore the downtown D.C. ruins. This... This was going to be much longer. At least a week, I guessed.

"Well, there's a first for everything, now, isn't there?"

She nodded and Charon made her finish her meal.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I didn't want to leave Mei, but I knew that I had to retrieve the G.E.C.K. I had to finish my mother and father's work. Mei didn't want any part of it, either. This was the reason that Dad died, so I knew it must have been very important to him. I knew he would want one of us to finish it. I visited Moira at Craterside to stock up on supplies for my trip. I counted out how many caps we had left, and it wasn't much. I hoped that Mei had more, because I was down to a little over two hundred. That wouldn't get me very far in the wastes, and it wouldn't get Mei by for as long as we would be gone. Still, I knew she would be able to find some sort of job to support herself.

The following day, Charon and I were ready to leave. We headed northwest to where the Brotherhood had said the secret entrance was. Hopefully, I would be able to retrieve the G.E.C.K. without any trouble. We took more than enough supplies to make it through two weeks, since we were unsure of how long it would take us to retrieve it.

"Please... water..." a man begged.

The local traders passed right by him, and I felt sorry for him. I entered my pip-boy and pulled out one of the pure water bottles I had packed.

"Here, take this," I told him, handing it to him.

"Really? Just... Just take it? I'm sorry, but I have nothing to repay you with."

"It's fine," I replied. "You need it more than I do."

"Bless you, child," he said. "It seems that not all has gone bad in the wastes. Take care on your journey."

I nodded and left, feeling slightly better about myself. Charon didn't seem too pleased though.

"We need that," he said as we walked on.

"I know, but he needs it more."

"Here in the wastes, it is kill or be killed. You shouldn't give away our supplies so readily."

"Charon, I know that, and it was only one bottle of water. I have plenty of rad-x in case I need to drink from an irradiated water source. We'll be fine."

He grumbled to himself, but busied himself as he shot some raiders before they got too close. I wanted to get there as soon as possible. Being separated from Mei... It didn't feel right. We had been together our whole lives, and this would be the longest we had ever been apart.

We camped without a fire that night, since there was no place to hide our position. The coldness of the wastes was overbearing, and I shivered violently under my worn-out blanket before Charon came over and held me as he kept watch. He leaned up against a rock and I curled up against his armored chest. I felt safe and warm, and was soon able to ease into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

With Kari and Charon gone, things got pretty quiet and boring. I sat around for a while, but I was itching to get out. I even did some research for Moira. First on the list was research on the nearby Super-Duper Mart. Place was packed with raiders, but I got a lot of ammo off of their corpses. I think that the quiet, stealthy approach that I had to use was more suited for Kari, though. I preferred to go in with guns blazing, while Kari was stealthier. Still, the reward was pretty good.

When that was done, I lazed around for two days before I decided to help out Moira some more. I swear, the longer Kari was away and the more time I spent with Moira, I was going to go just as insane as the shopkeeper was. She was about halfway done with her book, though, and the tasks kept me fed and content. I definitely wasn't meant for domestic life. I needed action and something to _do._

When I had helped Moira finish her book, nearly a week had passed, and Kari still wasn't back. I was beginning to worry, and regret not going with her. If something happened, it would be my fault. I needed something to take my mind off of it. I found Lucas Simms wandering around the town, keeping an eye out for anyone or anything suspicious.

"Hey, girl. What can I do for you?"

"I'm looking for something to do," I stated. "Got anything?"

"Well, that bomb still needs deactivating," he stated, "And there are some raiders gathering at the Springvale Elementary School. We'd all appreciate it if you were to go over and clear them out. Either one."

"I forgot about the bomb," I admitted. How I actually did was beyond me.

"Offer still stands at five hundred caps."

"I'll go take a look at it again."

He nodded. "Just don't blow us up, now."

"I'll try not to," I said with a smirk.

I was mad at Mr. Burke for what he had done to me, and I held no animosity to most of the residents of Megaton. From what I heard, the people of Tenpenny Tower were all a bunch of bigots and stuck-up pricks that nobody really liked. There was no way I would help them. I approached the bomb, ignoring Confessor Cromwell as he yammered on about, "The Glow." I took one glance at the bomb and everything sort of clicked into place. I knew exactly how I would deactivate the bomb, and I did. I smirked and went to find Simms.

"By golly, you've done it," he said. "I knew you could. Come with me back to my place and I'll count out your caps."

When I had them in hand, I decided to check out the raider problem. Simms offered me a hundred more caps for the job, and I took it. I would get to kill and get paid for it.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

When I awoke, I was quite cold, despite the fact that Charon was almost laying on top of me, protectively against the rock. He sprang into life, and fluffy-looking white stuff fell off of his back. I had to squint to be able to see anything, as it was all so bright. It was then that I realized that the stuff that was on Charon was all around us. I reached out to touch it, and it was very cold and melted in my hand. My Geiger counter ticked at me when I touched it, but it was so neat.

"What is it?" I questioned.

"Snow," he stated. "It is the solidified form of rain."

"I know what snow is, but I've just never actually seen it."

"This is a very rare occasion. The last time I was snow was before the war."

"So you really were alive back then? Before the bombs fell and everything?"

"Yes," he said with a nod. "We need to set out. It is quite irradiated, though. I shall carry you to protect you."

"Charon, I can always just take a rad-x."

"The snow is fairly deep. It would be faster if I were to carry you."

"But what if we come across raiders?"

"They will be not be out in the snow."

"You don't know that," I told him.

"Hikari, I have been around a lot longer than you. I know a lot more about the raiders and their habits. They will not come out."

I sighed and gave in. I didn't want to argue.

"Hey, Charon?"

"Yes?"

"I realized that you know almost everything about my past, but I know nothing about yours."

"What do you wish to know?" he inquired.

"How did you become what you are?" I questioned. "Like, with the contract and everything?"

"I was trained by a special organization that trained people to be the ultimate mercenaries," he stated. "We all had our specialties."

"What was your specialty?"

"I was trained in close combat."

"For how long?"

"I trained for fifteen years before they considered my training complete."

"Wow. How old were you when you started?"

"I was five."

"Were you taken from your parents or something?"

"My father was drafted into the war and died, and my mother died during childbirth," he stated. "I was taken in to the organization soon after my father was declared killed in action."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It is not your fault. You have nothing to apologize for. Is there anything else you wish to know?"

"What did the training consist of?"

"It was very difficult, but it made me able to survive through the war. We were all taught the basics, like how to make fire, how to hunt, how to kill with all kinds of different weapons but that only made my training that much more difficult. We were to be up, dressed, and fed by six, and if we weren't we would have no lunch break. We would all run laps, do the other exercises I had you do, things like that. The people with my specialty were trained in hand-to-hand combat, mostly, and we were to ones to be given shotguns. We trained rigorously from six to noon, where we got a ten minute lunch break. If we were not finished, then we would get no dinner break and we would be whipped. We had to be on time, there was no room for error. They wanted perfection, and they would punish imperfection. We trained until six, when we got another ten minute break for dinner. We then trained until eleven, when we would go to bed," he stated. "If we fought amongst ourselves, disobeyed our superior officers, or broke any other rule, we would be whipped and lose our breaks for the following day."

"That sounds like pure torture," I commented.

"It was, at the time, but it has kept me alive as long as it has."

"Do you know if there are any other survivors?"

"No, I don't believe there are. As tough as we were, surviving the bombs falling would be nearly impossible."

"But you survived," I stated. "Maybe some of the others survived."

"It is possible."

"So what happened after you completed your training?"

"I was sent by the government to fight in the war in anchorage. They were developing technology to defeat the communists, but they needed more soldiers to liberate the territory."

"Oh. What about after the war? What happened then?"

"The government discharged me from their service, and the company sold me to another buyer. He held my contract for quite some time, but my contract was taken by another person, and I left. Sometimes, my employer would foolishly wander off without me and end up getting killed. The cycle continued until I ended up here."

"So this contract really does have a hold over you," I said. "What would happen if you were to lose it, or if it were to be destroyed?"

"I do not know," he responded.

We lapsed into silence before the snow came to an abrupt end and I slid off of his back before we continued on our way. We soon reached the cave entrance, and it was just like Lyons had described. I told Charon to wait for me to return when we stood by the wooden door at the mouth of the cave. He didn't agree, but he obliged my request. Once inside, the acrid smell of the decaying bodies pierced though my nostrils. I felt the bile rise in my throat, but I repressed it and pushed onward through the cave as silently and stealthily as I could.

"Stop right there!" a voice shouted from up above the wall that I faced. "Unless you want to end up like the others! Now, come out to where I can see you!"

I was quite surprised when the person that I faced was just a kid. So much for a well-stocked army.

"Hey, you don't look like a mungo," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here looking for a G.E.C.K.," I told him. "Do you know where the entrance to Vault 87 is?"

"Yeah, but you gotta go through Murder Pass, which is filled with a bunch of monsters. Hold on. I'll let you in."

"What about my friend?" I asked. "Can he come, too?"

"Is he a mungo?" the kid asked.

"What's a mungo?"

"A grown up."

"O-oh. Yeah, I guess he is, but he's good. He's kept my sister and me alive since we had to leave our home."

"Fine. Just keep him out of trouble. You know how mungos can get."

"Will do. I'll be right back with him."

I ran back out and saw Charon pacing the entrance to the cave.

"Charon, it's safe," I told him. "The army is actually a bunch of kids, but they're going to let us in. Come on!"

He stared at me for a moment, but he nodded. We entered the town of little lamplight, and a lot of the kids looked up at us in wonder and curiosity, others in fear and disdain. Some completely ignored us.

"Too bad I wasn't at the front gate," one girl said in a snobbish tone. "It gets so boring by the back gate. There's never anything to shoot back there, and you would have provided a nice target."

"Yeah, I doubt you'd have been able to kill me. My friend here was just a call away, and he's been around for a couple hundred years," I told her. "Don't threaten me."

"Ha, you're funny. If you want to play make-believe, go play with the younger kids," she scoffed before turning to walk away.

"Don't mind Princess," a young girl said. "She's... well, she's just mean, but we all just ignore her."

"I can see why," I muttered.

"I'm Bumble," she told me. "What's your name?"

"I'm Hikari, and this is Charon," I replied. "Why are you called Bumble?"

"Well, I'm pretty clumsy, but I'm going to become the doctor once Lucy leaves."

"Oh. That would make sense, I guess. Anyway, do you know how to get to Murder Pass?"

"You'll have to get Mayor MacCready's permission to go through there," she stated. "None of us go through there because of the monsters."

"What monsters?"

"They're big and green. I haven't actually seen one, though, but I've heard about them from the scavenge team."

"Super Mutants," I said. "They live all over the ruins."

She shrugged before another girl called her over, and she left me to talk to Mayor MacCready.

"So, you want to get to the Vault, eh?" he said. "Well, the only way there is through Murder Pass, and it's filled with giant green monsters. I wouldn't go there if I were you."

"Is there any other way in? A Vault door that we can break through? A giant metal blockade? Anything?"

"Well, there is a computer, but you'd have to talk to Joseph about that. He's our computer expert."

"Where is he?"

"He's probably teaching one of his classes. Here, I'll take you to him."

"Thanks," I said as he escorted Charon and I to what appeared to be some sort of make-shift school.

"Oh, greetings, Mayor MacCready," a boy said. "What can I do for you?"

"These two need access to that computer thingy that leads to the Vault," the mayor replied. "Can you take them to it?"

"Sure," he stated. "Class, please work on the instructed material. I will be back shortly."

He told us to follow him, and we did. The mayor went back to guarding the front gate.

"So, you two need to get into the Vault?"

"Yes. We need to find the G.E.C.K."

"The Garden of Eden Creation Kit?"

"Yes! Do you know where it is?"

He shook his head. "No. We've only read about it in the books that the scavengers bring back from the Vault. It should be there, but our scav team has searched just about everywhere, before they were taken. There is one place that they weren't able to gain access to, though."

"What do you mean taken?"

"When they were out scaving around, they were taken by some slavers," he explained. "Only one made it back. We haven't sent him on any missions lately, though. He's still pretty shaken up."

"That's terrible," I said. "How can people enslave children?"

"I ask myself that a lot," he said with a sigh. "My sister is only ten... she can barely handle a gun, and she was one of the ones taken."

I stopped, too busy thinking to walk anymore. I needed to get the G.E.C.K., but the kids needed my help. I guess that the Enclave would have just as much trouble getting into the caves as the Brotherhood if they figured out where to get a G.E.C.K. The kids were fortified more so than most places in the wastes, so I guessed they would be able to handle themselves for a while.

"Tell me where the slavers took them," I stated.

"But Hikari-" Charon began.

"We have to help them," I stated. "I won't sit back, knowing that children are being captured and sold as slaves."

"Really? You think you could do that?"

"Kid, I know so," I told him.

"That would be wonderful. We think they took them to Paradise Falls, but we have no idea where that is, or if they're even there for sure. It would be great if you could bring them back, though."

"I will," I stated. "Just leave it to me."

"Thank you!" he exclaimed.

"Kid, do you even know where Paradise Falls is?" Charon asked once we headed towards the entrance. "Let along how to get in there?"

"No, but I'll figure something out," I said. "I can't just leave the kids there."

He mumbled to himself, but I ignored it. He showed me where my destination was and we were off. Most of the snow that we had come across earlier had melted, leaving deep, sticky mud everywhere. I refused to let Charon carry me, despite his offering. We both plodded through the thick earth, and by the time night had fallen, we had only gone about half of the distance we normally would have. Charon would have started a fire, but everything around us was covered in thick mud or melted snow. I decided to keep the first watch. I kept an eye on my pip-boy, watching for anything to show up on my radar. A few blips appeared every once in a while, but they never ventured close enough to worry about. I woke Charon up when I was about to fall asleep, and he sat up immediately, his eyes never leaving the horizon.

When I woke the following morning, Charon was making food. I didn't know what it was, nor did I care. Food was food out in the wastes; you ate what you could. When we were done eating, we set out. Traveling wasn't much easier. The mud had frozen overnight, and the sun was just melting it as we set out again. The following day, maybe the mud would be gone.

Only a few minutes later, my foot got caught in the hardening mud, causing me to lose my balance. I fell forward, face-planting in the mud, I sat up, and Charon came over to help, but I brushed him off. I felt my face heat up from embarrassment, but I shrugged it off. About an hour into the day, the mud finally came to an end. I spotted a deep hole filled with water up ahead, and I decided to wash up.

"Charon, can you keep watch while I change and wash up?" I requested.

He nodded, and I checked my pip-boy before peeling off my old clothes and stepping into the water hole. The mud clouded around my face and body when I submersed myself. When I was satisfied with my cleanliness, I waded out of the water and pulled out a clean, dry jumpsuit and put it on. I would be more vulnerable without my armored one, but it would only slow us down with all of the water weight.

"Charon, if you want to get the mud off of yourself, then go ahead. I'll watch my pip-boy."

He nodded and began to remove the top part of his armor. That's when I noticed an odd metallic object hanging around his neck.

"What's that?" I asked.

He looked down and took the object of question into his hand. "My dog tags."

"Dog tags?"

"They were used in pre-war times, much like a holotag, but the technology wasn't quite ready at the time," he explained. "It is a memento from my time spent in Anchorage."

He slipped it off and handed it to me before he turned to go into the water. I studied the shining piece of metal. It was engraved, but it showed what appeared to be the beginning of rust. On in, all it said was Charon and his blood type, A-, and it had a funny symbol underneath it.

"Charon, what's the symbol mean?" I asked.

"It is the symbol of the organization that trained me," he stated before getting out of the water. "It was so they could tell that I worked for someone, and I wasn't just a soldier."

I went to hand it back to him, but he shook his head.

"Hold on to it," he said. "You are far more amused by it than I am."

I fit them over my head. As we walked, the metal bounced slightly.

"We are nearly there," he stated. "Up by that giant statue."

I nodded and thought about exactly what we were going to do. I would try to talk to whoever was in charge about freeing the kids, but when I asked Charon, he immediately shot it down.

"Well, what should I do, then?"

"Try bartering for their release," he suggested. "Purchase them, then escort them back to Little Lamplight."

"And if I don't have enough caps?"

"Then I will be guarding your back."

We approached what appeared to be an entrance. A man was sitting by what looked like some sort of barricade, and he held his assault rifle up and aimed it at us.

"What business you have here?" he questioned before we drew too close.

"I'm on business," I stated. "I could use some helping hands around my house, but all I have is Charon here," I stated. "All he's good for is killing."

"How do I know you're not pulling my leg?"

Charon strode forward, his shotgun out and aimed for the guy. "You want me to take care of him, Mistress?"

"No, no, Charon," I played along. "Not yet. He has done nothing to threaten me. Stand down."

I saw the rather intimidated look that the man now wore, and I couldn't help but smirk. "Now, are you going to let us in, or no?"

"Very well," he stated. "But Eulogy don't take too kindly to being threatened."

"I'll keep that in mind. Come, Charon."

"Yes, Mistress," he replied before shouldering his shotgun and following me in.

I found the slave pens no problem. I felt quite sorry for the slaves, and I wanted to get them all out. I doubted that I could, even with the help of Charon. The living conditions seemed to be terrible, and I wished there was something that I could do. I counted three kids and four other slaves in the pen. I could feel the eyes of someone on me, and turned around immediately. Off leaning against the stack of cars was a rather burly man with blond hair, some kind of metal armor, and a sledge hammer attached to his back. He seemed to be studying me, seeing if I possessed some sort of threat. He looked away for a moment before approaching me.

"Jotun," he stated.

"Is that your name?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Hikari. And this is Charon."

"You like the kids?" he questioned.

"Yes," I replied. "I wish to have some to keep my house while I am away."

"Eulogy's busy," he stated. "You come often?"

"No, this is my first visit," I said. "I got Charon off of a barkeeper who only used him as a bouncer. I saw the potential and went for it."

He nodded.

"So, where can I find Eulogy?"

He pointed to a building with a sign in front of it that said, "Eulogy's Pad."

"Oh, that makes sense. Thank you for your help."

He nodded and Charon followed me to the building. I placed my hand on the door knob and hesitated. I felt Charon's hand on my shoulder and I looked up at him. He nodded, as to reassure me of his presence. I was nervous, but I felt better knowing that he was there for me. I opened the door and stepped in. There were two girls that stood beside a man, both wearing slave collars. I guessed that he was the person in charge.

"What can ol' Eulogy do for you today?" he asked before turning around. "In the market for some slaves?"

"I was thinking about buying the kids outside," I stated. "How much for them?"

"Five hundred each," he stated. "That is, unless you want the one called, 'Squirrel.' I won't sell him for more than one thousand."

"You drive quite a high price, Mr. Eulogy," I stated. "Really, all of them can't be worth more than one hundred a piece."

He laughed before continuing. "I take it you are new to the trade. You are quite young. No, my deal stands the same. That is a steal, too. I'd hurry up before someone else decides to take up on my offer."

I opened my pip-boy and glanced in it too see just how many caps I had with me. I didn't even have three hundred, but I had plenty of medical supplies to barter with. I took a look around the room, wandering slightly as I did so. I noticed empty hypos of med-x and Buffout bottles.

"I see you have been experimenting with chems," I commented.

"Yes, it does help to keep my girls in line," he replied. "Why bring it up?"

"I grew up with a doctor for a father, and I have many different chems that I may be willing to part with in trade for the children, along with two hundred fifty four caps," I stated. "How about that?"

"I say that depends on how many chems you've got," he said.

"On me, I have four bottles of Buffout and fifteen med-x hypos. How about that?"

"That'll get you two," he stated. "Or just Squirrel. Your choice."

I bit my lower lip before scrounging around some more. I needed a thousand more caps or plenty of chems to free Squirrel or the other two. I thought before the door opened up, revealing the man I met earlier. He had five people with him, all wearing frightened looks and slave collars.

"Ah, well done, Jotun. I have the caps as payment," Eulogy stated. "I trust you'll deliver them safely to your father?"

He nodded Eulogy began to examine each one. He commented to himself about their condition before discussing price with Eulogy.

"I'll give you fifteen thousand for them all," he stated.

Jotun nodded before the other man counted out the caps. He took the sack filled with caps from Eulogy, then left without another word, taking the slaves with him.

"Now, where were we? Ah, yes. So, will you accept my offer?"

I sighed. At least two slaves would be saved.

"I'll take the girl and the other boy. Sammy, I believe?"

"Yes, a wise decision. I'll have someone prep them for you while you pay me."

I nodded and took out all of my caps and the meds. He sent one of the girls out of the room with a key, probably to the slave pens. I placed the caps and chems out on the bar in front of him, and he counted them all out to make sure everything was there.

"Well, you can go retrieve them," he stated. "Everything is in order."

I nodded and left the dark building. As I stepped foot out of the building, I felt a hand on my arm. When I looked, Jotun had his finger to his mouth before thrusting the sack of caps in my hands.

"Wh-what-?"

"Take it," he said. "Don't tell."

"But I can't-"

He pressed it firmly into my hands before simply walking away.

"I do not trust him," Charon stated.

"You don't trust anyone," I countered.

I peered inside the sack, and all of the caps that he had received as payment for the slaves were in there. I stored them in my pip-boy before heading back in to the pad. I pulled out one thousand more before approaching Eulogy, who was trying to lure one of his girls into bed.

"Back already? Sorry, all purchases are final."

"No, I've come across a... donation to purchase Squirrel," I stated. "One thousand caps, as you said."

"But how-"

"Do not question my sources," I stated. "I want to buy the kid."

"Why are you so interested in the children? Eulogy questioned.

"I have use of them, for housekeeping, mostly. Start them out young, and they are more obedient, correct?"

"Yes, but young Squirrel's talents are more in technology," he replied. "And why do you need all three?"

"I like to own sets," I excused. "Why have one when more would be more efficient? Besides, I require someone who is good with computers. I have a very important one that requires attention. No need for me to botch the job, correct?"

"Very well," he said. "One thousand caps. He'll be ready shortly. I'll have him sent to the front gate with the other two."

I nodded before he turned to an intercom. I left, assuming he would do as he said he would. Just as I thought, the three kids were standing right by the exit, a slaver not letting them out of his sight. I nodded to him, and he left.

"What the heck, lady!" the one called Sammy asked. "You don't own us!"

"Look kid, just shut your mouth, okay? I'm here to help."

"How do I know you aren't lying?"

"I went to Lamplight, and Joseph told me about you guys, now come on."

"My brother?" the little girl exclaimed. "You talked to him? Is he okay? Is he worried?"

"Penny, I told you not to talk to her!"

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Yes, your brother. He was quite worried about you, now let's go."

Sammy didn't seem to believe me, but the other two did. We left Paradise Falls and began to head back to Little Lamplight.

"Oh, Squirrel, I hear you're good with technology, correct?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, I need to get into the Vault, but I don't have the time to fight my way through the Super Mutants," I told him. "If I supply you with the technology, do you think you could hack into it and get the door open?"

"Probably," he said. "It depends on what kind of technology and how intricate the password is."

"I'd really appreciate it if you tried," I stated. "I don't have any more caps for ammo, nor do I have time to go and get more. I bought some before I left my house, but I've used a lot of it on various creatures."

He nodded. "I guess it's the least I could do after you rescued us."

When Penny tripped and fell, she sprained her ankle pretty badly. We had to stop for a while so I could tend to it. It looked a lot worse than it seemed at first. It immediately began to swell, and there was no way she could keep walking. I wrapped it up as best as I could, but I had given all of my med-x to Eulogy, so I couldn't ease her pain.

"Hikari, if you wish, I can carry her," Charon spoke up. "It would be much faster."

Penny looked a bit fearful of Charon, but I reassured her before she accepted. We went on for a while until it was too dark to travel. We made camp, and Charon started a fire. The kids were quite fascinated with the flint and steel, and I watched as Charon explained to them how it worked. It was nice to see him open up to others, even if it was only a couple of kids.

Charon and I took turns keeping watch, and I was woken by his shotgun firing at some creatures that wandered too close to our campsite. We stripped them for food for breakfast the following morning. The stuff we didn't eat, I stored in my pip-boy. We reached Little Lamplight a bit after we stopped for lunch, but we were all exhausted. Still, I had to keep going. The enclave could try to get in the caves at any moment, but I doubted they would get past the kids, let along all of the mutants further back.

Joseph was overjoyed to see his sister again, and it was quite adorable when they were reunited. He let the nurse look after her while he took Squirrel, Charon, and me to the terminal. He turned it on and went back to see his sister. I began to hook my pip-boy up to the computer, and then held my wrist up for Squirrel to see.

"This seems easy enough," he commented. "Shouldn't take me too long to crack it. Where did you get this thing, anyway?"

"Back in my Vault, before the mungos kicked me out," I told him. "My dad left, and the leader pretty much went insane and tried to have my sister and me killed. If it weren't for Amata, then we probably would have been shot in our sleep."

"That's the problem with mungos," he stated. "They just don't seem to get us kids. I hope I'm not like most of them when I grow up."

"I have a feeling you won't be," I said. "I know I will refuse to be."

"That's good," he replied, not taking his eyes off of the screen. "The world needs more people with compassion. I've seen what people like Raiders have done, and that's no way to get the world back to the way it was before the war. I've seen plenty of pre-war pictures and read plenty of books from this Vault. It's all so cool, and I wish things would go back to the way things were before this stupid war. But, there's nothing to be done unless more people wise up and do the right thing."

"I couldn't agree more," I told him.

There was a, "Ping!" before the door clicked open. I unplugged my pip-boy and thanked Squirrel for his assistance before Charon and I entered into the dark hallway. The whole place was filled with Super Mutants, but Charon and I had the element of surprise as we terminated them. I freaked out when I saw the thing that was a centaur, though. I could see why Mei had also been distracted by it. It was hideously mutated, and I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. I doubt Mei would, either. Other than the mutants, there was nothing really to report. I heard a voice coming from one of the other cells, and I thought I was hearing things, but upon further investigation, realized that there really was someone talking. It was a Super Mutant, but he didn't have the crazed, bloodthirsty look in his eye.

"Who are you?" I asked, ignoring the concerned look that I was getting from Charon.

"I... am Fawkes," he said. It seemed rather hard for him to talk. "I... have been trapped in... this room... for quite a long... time."

"How did this happen to you?" I questioned.

"The... Forced Evolutionary Virus," he replied. "Please, let me out. There is... a switch at the end of the hallway. You are looking for the... G.E.C.K., correct?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"What else... would you be here for? It is surrounded by... a lot of radiation. I can... get it for... you if you want."

"But how are you able to form coherent sentences if you have been in there your whole life?" I questioned.

"I have a terminal," he stated, pointing to it. "It has... limited knowledge, but it is sufficient enough. I do not think... that the others would think that I would... be smart enough... to use it."

"Well, I guess there's no harm in letting you out," I replied. "I'll be right back."

"Thank you, but... be careful. By releasing me, the other doors will open... and the other mutants... will be let out."

"Thanks for the warning," I said.

When we were out of earshot, Charon spoke up, saying, "We should not trust him."

"Charon, it'll be fine. He will retrieve the G.E.C.K. for us, and even if he betrays us, which I don't think he will, I'm positive we can take him."

He grumbled to himself as we walked by a few more cells, each one with a different kind of experiment in it. I was rather curious when I walked passed a cell with a dead wastelander and raider inside. I wondered just how they got trapped in there.

Charon and I killed a few more Super Mutants before we gained access to the terminal that had the emergency release. I hesitated for a moment, mentally preparing myself for the creatures to be released from their cages. I was sure that Charon and I could take them, and my finger hit the button before an alarm went off. Charon aimed him shotgun at the door and started firing. I joined in, killing the mutants that tried to get in. After a moment, I heard the swing of a heavy object, followed by the sound of bones breaking. I only guessed that Fawkes had joined in on the fight.

"Thank you... for freeing me," he said. "Now, for my end of the deal. I shall... retrieve the G.E.C.K. for you."

"Thank you," I replied before following him down a set of hallways.

Fawkes seemed rather adept with the sledge hammer of his, and he was able to take all of the bullets that were shot his way. I wished that I had met him earlier. He was quite useful and friendly. I had probably just met the only friendly Super Mutant in the Capital Wastes. Soon, we reached a hallway that seemed to glow.

"The G.E.C.K. is down here," he stated. "Please... wait here for my... return."

I nodded, and he set down the hall. Not a minute later, he came back with it in hand. He gave it to me, and he told me that this was where we parted ways. I thanked him again for his assistance before Charon and I turned to leave the Vault. I wasn't entirely looking forward to going back through Little Lamplight, but it was the only way to get back to Megaton, and to extent, the Jefferson Memorial.

As we walked down the hallway, I swore I could hear something off in the distant, but I thought it was probably just another Super Mutant, so I brought out my gun. Charon followed suit, and I knew I wasn't just hearing things.

As I entered a room, I heard a high pitched noise that irritated my ears. I covered them, and not a moment, an explosion detonated from the floor, knowing me down and paralyzing me. I heard some people enter the room as my vision began to fade.

"Good work," a familiar voice said. "Are you sure she is unharmed?"

"Yes, sir," a masked voice replied. "She will pass out momentarily."

As that entered my head, everything went black, and I lost consciousness.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

I was knocked back by some weird explosion, and I was unable to move to Hikari as the soldiers entered the room and took her away. I blacked out, and when I awoke, there was no trace of the soldiers anywhere.

"What is going on?" I heard Fawkes ask.

"The-The soldiers," I struggled to say, still disoriented from the blast. "Took... Hikari."

"Why would... they do such a thing?"

"G.E.C.K.," I choked out. "Help."

I had to rescue Hikari. I had to get Mei and get to the Brotherhood. We had to rescue her.

"I will help," he replied. "Where to?"

"Megaton," I said. "Find Mei."

"We will go there."

"Good."

It took about three hours for whatever it was to wear off, and the oaf insisted on going his pace, which only made things much slower than they needed to be. We reached Megaton by the following morning, but I already feared the worst for Hikari. I stumbled into the house, but Fawkes had to wait outside the city for fear of what the residents may do to him.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Mei stammered. "Where's Kari?"

"Enclave," I told her. "They knocked us out and took her."

"Bastards!" she shouted. "We will destroy them. Where are they located?"

"I do not know. I think we should ask the Brotherhood where they are."

She nodded and grabbed some supplies off of the shelf.

"How long ago was this?"

"I do not know. I we were both knocked unconscious. You can ask Fawkes when we get outside the city."

"Fawkes?"

"A friendly Super Mutant that your sister saved in return for the G.E.C.K. He is going to help us get her back."

She nodded and turned for the door. I followed her rapid pace out of the city, and she ignored Fawkes as we made our way to the Citadel, guided by Mei's pip-boy.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I swear of anything happened to Kari, there would be hell to pay. I felt a bit of animosity towards the ghoul, but deep down, I knew that there was nothing he could have done to stop them from taking her.

We reached the Citadel in a matter of hours, and we were immediately let in.

"Can I help you?" one of the scribes asked.

"We need to get to the main headquarters of the Enclave," I told him. "It is really important."

"See Scribe Rothschild for that," he stated. "He is down by the map."

"Thanks," I muttered before running down the stairs. "Rothschild! I need your help!"

"Yes, child?"

"My sister was taken," I told him. "She went to get the G.E.C.K. or whatever for you guys, and the Enclave took her. Please, you have to help!"

"I'm afraid all I can do is tell you where the main base is," he stated. "I am in no position to send out troops, and the ones that aren't guarding the Citadel are out fighting the Super Mutants and Enclave forces. I'm sorry to say that you are on your own."

"Don't care. Just tell me where it is."

I pulled up my pip-boy map, and showed it to him. He pointed it out, and I guessed that it would take me two days to get there. That would be too long. If I didn't sleep, it would only take about a day, but Charon might object to that. Still, Kari was in danger, so maybe he wouldn't. I hoped for the latter. As I thought, Charon had no objection to going through the night, even when we were all exhausted. We did rest for a few hours, though, just to keep us going. We had to get to Kari. Hopefully, those soldiers wouldn't harm her in any way, or they had hell to pay in the form of an angry teen, a trigger-happy ghoul, and an intelligent Super Mutant.

When I stopped to think about it, we were an odd group of people, but we had one thing in common: Kari had brought us together. We were all misfits and outcasts in our own way, but she had shown us kindness when no one else would. If it weren't for her, Charon would be stuck with Az, Fawkes would still be stuck in the Vault, and I would probably have gone insane or died before we reached Underworld for the first time. I loved my sister and all that she had done, even if she was a goody-two shoes. She had the courage to do the right thing, even in the harsh wastes. Me? I cared for numero uno, just like everyone else in the wastes.

All I could see ahead of us was a giant mountain, but I remembered what Rothschild had told us; it was hidden in the mountain.

* * *

After Notes:

I kinda like this chapter, because it has some character bonding. :3

Anywho, I was really debating on whether or not to include her rescuing the slaves, but I had an idea, and it required her freeing the kids. Then, I struggled to figure out exactly how I could do that without messing up that idea. I came up with what you see, and things will be explained later, if I get around to it. I don't really know if I will or not.

As usual, I request that you review or PM or whatever. Just let me know what you think if it so far or if you see any mistakes, etc. Much appreciated, HikariMei.


	11. Chapter 11: Sacrifices

Quick Note: I apologize in advance for any confusion you may have at the end. If there are any questions, feel free to drop me a review/PM. Now, on to the final chapter...

* * *

Chapter 11: Sacrifices

~Hikari's POV~

I opened my eyes. My vision was groggy and I had a pounding headache. I tried to move, but I couldn't. I was bound by... something, and my armor and weapons were gone. I struggled to remember what had happened... I remembered going into the Vault to get something... The G.E.C.K. Charon and I had gotten it with Fawkes... _Wait! Where's Charon?_

The door ahead of me opened, and the man standing there was familiar. He wore an odd off-white coat, he had a pistol strapped to his waist, and he had silvery-hair.

"I see you are awake," he stated in an all too familiar voice

I was filled with rage as I remembered who he was. He was the one that had caused the death of my father; he had tried to make Dad give up Project Purity, so that the Enclave could take all of the glory.

"That's good," he continued. "We were afraid for a moment that you wouldn't pull through, and you would be off no use to us."

"Where's Charon?"

"Charon? I suppose you mean that ghoul you were with?"

I managed a nod.

"Well, I'm afraid the blast killed him. He is gone," he stated. "We left his body back in Vault 87."

"No!" I shouted. "He's not dead!"

"He wasn't even breathing as we left," he said.

I felt a great hole deep in my chest, knowing Charon wouldn't come to save me. We had just grown closer, and he had been ripped away, much like my father. I felt tears overflow and the hatred rise towards the man standing in front of me. I would kill him and everyone else that was affiliated with the Enclave.

"Now, as to why you are here. We require your help."

"Oh, do you now?" I laughed bitterly. "You are the reason that Charon and my father are dead. Why should I help you?"

"Oh, come now. They killed themselves," he said. "Now, what is the code to start the purifier?"

_Code? What code?_

"Go fuck yourself."

"Don't test me," he warned. "Now, what is the code?"

"No, seriously. Go fuck yourself. I'm not helping you."

"Why you-!"

"Colonel," a voice said from behind.

"Yes, sir, Mr. President?"

"You are needed in my office. Please, I'm sure our guest will be fine for a moment."

"Yes, sir." He glared at me before he left the room.

"Now," the voice continued. "I am terribly sorry for the way you have been treated. I am releasing your binds, now."

I was able to relax just after he had said that, and I felt pain throughout my joints. I wondered how long I had been knocked unconscious.

"Your things are in the locker. You may retrieve them, so I'll unlock it."

There was a click, and I opened it. All of my things tumbled out, so I quickly picked all of it up, putting on my armor, loading my gun, placing my spare ammo in my bag, and everything else in my pip-boy. I held Charon's contract to my chest for a moment before putting it in my shirt, close to my heart for safe keeping. I found his dog tags that he had given me as well, and slipped those around my neck.

"Now, I would like to talk to you face to face," he said. "Please hurry. I will unlock the door."

I clicked, and I exited into the hallway.

"You!" a man shouted. "You are not supposed to be here!"

"B-but I was told by the president-"

"Let me check this out," he interrupted. "Sir-"

"Did I not tell you to call me unless it was an emergency?"

"Yes, but the girl-"

"She is to come straight to my office, no interferences, understand?"

"Y-yes sir."

"Attention all soldiers!" the president said over the intercom. "This is your president speaking! Our guest from Vault 101 is to come directly to my office. Anyone that interferes shall pay. President out."

I walked down the hallway, trying to ignore my uncharacteristic urges to kill every soldier that walked about. It was them that had killed Charon and my father; they were the reason they were dead. I still sent glares in their direction as I passed, but that was all I could do. It frustrated me that I could not get my revenge, but I knew that if I attacked them, I would be dead in a second, and that wouldn't go over well. As I headed up in the elevator, I heard another announcement play.

"Attention everyone!" the colonel said. "This is Colonel Autumn speaking! Ignore the president's message! The girl from the Vault is to be shot on sight! I repeat: she is to be shot on sight!"

I frowned, and I knew I was in for a battle. I turned the safety off of my plasma rifle and ducked down, preparing myself for the worst. They would not be able to physically harm me, but I bet anything I would still die of blood loss. I was faced with a couple of armored foes that opened fire with their laser rifles on sight. I returned fire, quickly turning one into a pile of goo. I only stopped firing to reload my gun. I had killed probably ten soldiers before they stopped firing. I had to admit, it felt pretty good, but I felt slightly sick to my stomach at the sight of their wounds. I also used about half of my ammo in that battle, and I was sure there were plenty more.

"Hikari," I heard the President's voice say from one of the eyes on the wall. "I cannot stop the troupes from attacking you, but I can send some sentry bots to help out. Please accept this as my apology."

Sure enough, I heard some lasers firing up ahead, some explosions, and some screams. I thanked him before I continued along my way. I scavenged some MF cells off of the bodies of the fallen soldiers before continuing on my way. The bots followed me, and they began to attack the soldiers up ahead. I soon reached a tall set of steps, and I stared fearfully up them. God, I hated heights. I steeled myself before I began the long ascent. I glanced down about halfway, which was a big mistake. I felt dizziness overtake me, and I tried to relax, but it didn't work. I shut my eyes and stuck my head between my knees until the spell passed. I continued to climb, gripping the railing as hard as I could and only looking up. When I reached the top, all I saw was a computer. A bluish green line bounced up and down as the president's voice spoke.

"Welcome, Hikari," he greeted. "It is nice to finally meet you face to face."

"Excuse me, but you're... you're a computer?"

"Well, technically, I am equipped with artificial intelligence, but you are correct," he continued. "I have brought you here to discuss project purity."

"What about it?"

"Well, I need your help," he told me. "I had Colonel Autumn go to try to discuss things with your father, and I am sorry for your loss. I just want to talk."

"So _you_ were the one responsible for my father's death," I said. "Why would I help you guys?"

"Please, just listen. We have a common goal here," he stated. "We both wish to give clean, fresh, and pure water to the wastes, and we both wish to help America become what it was. I just wish to be more... selective of the people to father the future generations."

I didn't like where he was going with this, but I listened to him anyway. I knew he was trying to manipulate my emotions, but I knew better than to fall for it. I would turn the tables on him.

"I have in my possessions a vial of the modified FEV, and I would like you to install it into the purifier," he said. "This virus has been modified to... get rid of any people with any defects in their DNA, thus creating a perfect nation."

"I have seen the FEV at work," I told him. "What makes this any better?"

"It will not mutate the people, like in Vault 87. It will wipe out people that have imperfect DNA."

"What does that include?"

"Super Mutants, ghouls, probably a lot of the people you know, but it is all for the greater good."

"I don't kill others for the, 'Greater good,'" I stated. "Not when they are that innocent."

"These people are no more innocent that you or I," he commented. "What makes them so special that you would save them?"

"These people have lived out here their whole lives, and I could not fathom how much courage, determination, and fight that these people have to have just to get by," I replied. "I have lived only weeks here, and there were times where I nearly ended it all, just give up. If it were not for these people, then I would not be here. My dad used to talk about how sacred life was. He said that we would have to make sacrifices to keep it going, and no matter how hard it was, we shouldn't take the easy way out. It's a struggle, but these people deserve a chance to experience all life has to offer."

"We would be making sacrifices," he stated.

"No, I don't think he meant those kinds of sacrifices," I told him. "He meant personal ones. That's why he didn't give up the purifier to you people. He would rather have died than just let you kill all of those people, and I would do the same. Just... think for a moment about _just_ how many people this would include. Only about five percent, maybe less, of the people in the wastes have no genetic mutations. I know for a fact that even in my sheltered life, I have developed a mutation. Most of your soldiers probably have _some_ kind of mutation. Would you be able to live with yourself knowing that you killed that many people?"

He was silent for a moment. "I have not thought about it that way."

"Exactly. How are you fit to be president when you have not examined every possibility that can happen, every risk that you take? A good president will do that. Wasn't that what happened before the Great War? Wasn't that the reason that we ended up as we are? Because past presidents have made reckless decisions?"

"But I am infallible," he stated, "Unlike my predecessors."

"But were you not programmed by people capable of error?" I questioned. "How can you be perfect when the very people who create you were not? Is it even possible?"

"You... are correct," he admitted. _Jackpot._ "I have found an error in my internal programming... I am unsure what to do."

"Shut yourself down, Eden," I said. "End it all, so we can _truly_ start anew."

"Analyzing command... New course of action dictated... Self-destruct sequence initiated. It is advised that the FEV be removed to prevent explosive decompression. It is also advised to clear the area using the door on the opposing wall."

A series of alarms went off throughout the facility, a voice stating that the self-destruct sequence had been activated. I had no time to relish my victory in a battle of wits against the super computer, so I grabbed the FEV to be destroyed safely and headed out the door. Once outside, there was a series of explosions behind me. I turned to watch as the base exploded. Vertibirds that were trying to fly off were hit by chunks of rock that flew off of the base, and I couldn't help but cheer as they crashed and burned.

"Die, you fucking soldiers!"

"Mei!" I shouted. "Mei!"

I began to run towards the sound of her voice as she presumably shot the remaining soldiers. The explosions increased in size and number as I heard Mei call my name. She appeared over a rock, and she ran over to me in a hurry.

"I thought I lost you!" she shouted over the explosions as we embraced. "When I saw those explosions, I though the worst!"

"I talked to the president!" I told her. "I convinced him to blow up the base, and he did! He was really a computer!"

"I guess that'll make a great story for back home, huh?"

I smiled and nodded. After all of this was over, we would go home, but... without Charon, things wouldn't be the same... Just then, over the rock, I heard it. Charon's shotgun. I let go of Mei and walked slowly over to the edge of the rocky cliff. I stared in a daze. Standing there, killing off the last soldier, was Charon.

"Charon!" I shouted. He was alive!

He just about dropped his shotgun when I called his name. I slid down the cliff and ran over to him, tightly embracing him. I felt him return the gesture while I buried my face into his shoulder. He smelled just like I remembered: warm leather, gunpowder, and sweat.

"You're alive," I mumbled into his armored chest, letting the tears of relief wash down my face. "I was told you were dead."

He gathered me into his arms and lifted me off of the ground. I stared into his milky-blue eyes, and he stared into mine. The look he gave me made my stomachs flutter. It said that he was worried about me, genuinely so. I felt his lips against my forehead before he held me close once more. My face flushed at the contact, but it was... good.

"Hate to break up this love fest, but we gotta go," Mei stated. "The whole base is collapsing, and I'm pretty sure that it's not very safe."

Charon nodded and put me down, but his hand lingered on mine.

"Where to?" he asked.

"We have to go to the Citadel," I stated. "The Enclave has the G.E.C.K., but Dad put a code on it to prevent entry. That's why they kept me alive, I think. They couldn't figure it out, but I think know what it is."

"Now? We just got you back!" Mei exclaimed.

"If we don't then the Enclave will be able to guess it," I told her. "We can't take them on by ourselves. We're going to need the help of the Brotherhood."

"Fine," she conceded. "Where's Fawkes?"

* * *

~Mei's POV~

It was kind awkward with the way that Charon and Kari were acting around each other. Figures she would end up with someone like him. Still, I was glad she was back. When I saw the explosions, I feared that she had died, but leave it to her to outsmart some super computer. As we headed to the Citadel, something in the pit of my stomach said something bad was coming. I ignored it, hoping that I was wrong, but the feeling kept nagging at me.

"Wh-what?" Elder Lyons gasped at the news that we brought. "This... This changes everything... Activate Liberty Prime!"

"Yes, sir," a scribe said.

"Everyone else, prepare to infiltrate the Jefferson Memorial!" he continued. "Hikari, do you have the vial of FEV still?"

"Yes."

"Good. We will destroy it properly."

She nodded and handed the rather large vial of glowing blue liquid over to the elder. In the middle of the room, a lot of steam was released, and what looked like an old robot emerged from the center. Kari began to cough and Charon had to take her out of the room. I watched in wonder before Sarah Lyons started to talk to me.

"Well, you and your sister are now considered members of Lyons Pride," she stated. "Do you want the recon armor or the power armor?"

"Recon," I stated.

She nodded and a knight handed it to me. I changed quickly before running upstairs, ignoring the stares from the other knights. Kari seemed to be better, but I could tell she was only getting worse.

"Maybe you should wait here," I told her. "Just to be safe."

She shook her head. She was a stubborn one, but there was nothing I could do about it. Unless she was sedated, she would find a way to come with us. I guessed it would just be better to have her come so we could protect her rather than have her sneak in. Charon showed more concern for her well-being than he usually did, and it was a bit weird. Still, at least she really knew that he cared.

Overhead, Vertibirds swooped in and began to fire upon Liberty Prime, but they were no match for his laser. One shot and BAM! they were crashing and burning. We followed Prime, who kept shouting about eradicating communism, down to the Memorial. It was rather fun killing all of the soldiers alongside the giant robot. When we reached the memorial, only Kari, Charon, Fawkes, Sarah, and I entered the rotunda. Kari glared at the man that waited for us.

"Well, well," he said in a weird accent. "Look who has shown up. Hikari, it is nice to see you again. I believe the last time we spoke, you told me to... What has it again? Oh, that's right. I believe you said, 'Go fuck yourself.'"

Charon protectively held his arm out in front of Kari. I knew she would be safe with him. I was surprised when she lowered his arm and walked forward, slightly hunched over and wincing.

"You've lost," she said in a weak voice. "President Eden is dead. Over half of your men are dead, your base is gone. It's over, Colonel. The Enclave is no more. Give up now."

"No," he said as he loaded his pistol. "No, it's not gone. We are still here, and the Enclave is alive with us. We will proceed."

He held his gun up, but Charon was faster. One swift movement and the colonel was lying on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood. He sent a death glare to the other soldiers, who seemed to be weighing their chances of surviving. I guess they decided not to chance it and turned around, exiting out of the opposing door. It was in that moment of silence that we heard it.

"Hello? Hello? Is anyone there? This is Dr. Li!"

Sarah rushed up to the intercom.

"Sarah Lyons here, along with the Mansen twins and their followers. What's wrong?"

"I've been monitoring the systems remotely, and I've got some bad news. Someone sabotaged the machinery. It needs to be activated now, or the results would be catastrophic!" she explained.

"Well, this isn't exactly how I imagined going out," Sarah said with a sigh. "Who's going in? Should we draw straws?"

"I'm going," Kari stated. "Dad would want me to do it."

"Kari, no," I interrupted. "You're too sick. You won't have a chance of making it out."

She squeezed her eyes shut in pain, holding a hand around her mid-section. "I have to do this."

"No, let me."

"I will do it," Charon stated. "I am healed by radiation. It will be nothing to me."

"Charon, no," Kari said. "I am doing this."

"Kari, I can't let you, and neither will Charon."

"You guys need to hurry!" Dr. Li's voice said.

"Only I know the code, though, and it would be useless if one of you went in."

"Hikari, please tell me," Charon begged.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I had to go in there. It had to be me who started it. I could tell that I was going to die soon, anyway. I wouldn't let Mei give up her life, and Charon and Fawkes, to be honest, didn't care about the project. I wanted to finish what my father had started.

"No, Charon," I told him. "I'm going in. Sarah, close the gate when I'm in."

She nodded, but Charon grabbed a hold of my arms. I felt a pain rip through my lungs and head, so I closed my eyes again.

"Charon, I don't want to... but... Please don't make me order you to stay out of the way."

"You're going to have to," he said. "I won't listen any other way. You have given me too much freedom for me to back down now."

"Fawkes, you believe in destiny, correct?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Well, I believe that it is my destiny to start this purifier. My father," I told him, gesturing to his body inside the glass, "And my mother both gave their lives for this project, and it is only right that I finish it. Please, I'm begging you to keep these two at bay."

"If that is what you wish, then I will oblige."

"Thank you," I said. "Now Charon, let me go."

* * *

~Mei's POV~

Kari was being stupid about this. Charon and Fawkes could start it with no problem; all they needed was the code. She rambled on about destiny, but there was no way I was going to let her do it. Not a chance.

"Guys, stop this none sense," Sarah intervened. "She is the only one that knows the code, so let her in."

Charon didn't let Kari go, and I prayed he wouldn't.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I stared into Charon's eyes, feeling the tears well up.

"Please," I whispered. "You have to let me go now, or this place will blow, and _all_ of us will die."

* * *

~Charon's POV~

So many thoughts rushed through my head at that second. I was sure that I loved Hikari. She had shown me kindness when no one else did, and she was throwing away her life. And for what? Some project that had claimed both of her parents. She looked up at me with her watery amethyst eyes, begging me to let her go. I wanted nothing than to hold her back and let someone else do it, but I couldn't. We had to do something. Damn it, why did it have to be _her_? If it were anyone else wanting to start it, I would have no qualms about it, but... Hikari was the reason that I got up every morning. She needed someone to protect her; she was too fragile. She was my purpose; I was sure of it.

"Please," she whimpered. "Let me go."

Slowly, I took my hands off of her arms, avoiding her eyes. I could feel the tears that had not fallen since the war began to form in my eyes. I blinked them back before embracing her one final time.

"Thank you," she whispered as she returned the gesture with all of her might.

"So you're just letting her go?" Mei exclaimed. "After all of this... you're just..."

* * *

~Mei's POV~

I was furious. I thought Charon was supposed to keep her safe! Instead, he let her go. I tried to rush after her, but Fawkes's giant hand grasped the collar of my armor.

"It is her destiny," was all he said.

I watched in horror as the glass wall enclosed Kari in the room. I ran up once Fawkes had let me go and placed my hand against the glass. She smiled, tears falling down her face, and pressed her hand against mine.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I knew Mei would be able to carry on, even if I didn't make it through. She had to.

"Charon," I said through the glass, "Please, take care of Mei for me. Make sure she's safe."

He nodded, and I saw a single tear fall down his ravaged cheek.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

I can't believe I let her just waltz in there. The inner door opened, and she recoiled slightly, coughing violently as she approached the keypad. I wanted to break through the glass and carry her back out, telling her how foolish she was being, but I had no choice in the matter.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

Kari kept coughing as she typed in the number. Right as she clicked the enter button, she fell to the ground, onto her knees. The whole place began to shake, and red liquid flowed out of her mouth and into her hand. I pounded on the glass as the light began to brighten.

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

A pain ripped through my lungs as the place began to shake. I coughed and coughed until I fell to the floor, the pain worsening in my lungs. I eventually tasted blood, and I realized that I had just coughed it all up. More continued to flow out of my mouth, and I knew I was about to die, but I was okay with that.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

Kari slumped to the floor, and that's when I saw what Charon was doing. He rammed the glass over and over. I was surprised when a crack appeared in the glass, and I popped a rad-x before tossing one to Sarah. The glass shattered, and I felt the radiation hit me like a shock wave. Charon leaped through the hole in the glass and ran over to Kari.

* * *

~Charon's POV~

Hikari... she was so light and weak as I lifted her off the ground. I knew I had to get her out of there, no matter the cost. I carried her out of the rotunda and back into the gift shop.

"Ch-Charon?" she weakly called.

"Yes, I am here, Hikari," I whispered as Sarah called for a medic. "You're going to be fine. You're going to be okay."

"N-no. I'm going to die."

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I smelled... warm leather, sweat, and gunpowder. I called for my ghoul bodyguard. He told me I was going to be okay, but I knew I wasn't. I was being realistic.

"Don't say that," he whispered, running his calloused fingers through my short, shaggy hair. "You're going to be just fine."

"Charon, w-we both know-"

I had another coughing fit, and I felt the liquid rise in my throat.

"Just stop talking," he told me.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

God... Kari, why? I prayed that she would be alright, but I knew she wouldn't be. My gut told me this would be the last I saw of her.

"Kari, you have to live, okay?" I said through the tears. "You c-can't leave me. I can't do this on my own."

"Shh," she said, lifting her hand to my face. "You'll be fine. You're s-strong enough."

I began to sob as she dropped her hand back to her chest.

"I-I love both of you," she said. "You b-both h-h-have to be st-strong and carry on."

* * *

~Charon's POV~

The kid was such a sad sight. She was laying on her deathbed, trying to comfort us. Where were those goddamned medics?

"I've a-already a-a-accepted death," she whimpered. "M-Mei, please reach into my shirt and pull out the paper..."

What the twin pulled out, I had set my whole life by. The dying twin grasped a hold of it, shaking profusely.

"Ch-Charon... T-take it. You're free."

I was shocked by the kid. Even in death, she was doing things that no one had ever done before. I was a pretty much a slave to that piece of paper, and she was giving me my freedom. I took it and stowed it in my pocket. She tried to sit up, but she was too weak. I lifted her up, and her smooth hand traced my rough cheek. A second later, her hand was replaced by her trembling lips.

"I love you," she whispered. "I just... wanted to let you know that."

"I love you, too, kid.

"And Mei, I love you, too," she said. "You almost always had my back when we lived in the Vault. I don't th-think that Butch would be alive if it weren't for you... I-"

* * *

~Hikari's POV~

I was so tired, but there was so much I had to tell them... Too much I left unsaid. I was grateful to both of them, and I liked them most of everyone in the wasteland. They had been my rock and shelter, but I was ready. I could see a light in the sky, and beautiful, beautiful music. I shut my eyes, and everything went black.

* * *

~Mei's POV~

"Kari? Kari? Kari!" I shouted. "No, no! Kari, don't leave me! I can't do this without you! KARI!"

The tears that fell blinded me as the medics arrived, but it was too late. Kari was gone, and I was alone.

* * *

After Notes:

Finally! It's the end. That kinda makes me sad. :'( I can't believe I actually finished uploading it...

Buuuut, I'm already in the process of writing a sequel, but I highly doubt it will be nearly as long. The first chapter is about the same length as this one, which is kinda short by my usual standards.

Again, I apologize if the POV switching was rather confusing, but I really wanted to make sure you got a deeper connection with the characters, although I may have done the opposite. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a review or PM. I'm usually on every day, but I've got drumline through Sunday, and I've had it every day this week.

Drumline is almost over, and after it is, I'll be able to have more free time to type and work on my story.

I really hoped you guys liked it, and I'm open to any suggestions you may have. Thanks for reading and the few reviews/favorites/subscriptions I have received so far. They really are a great encouragement. Much appreciated, HikariMei.


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